Questions tagged [thou-thee-thy]

"Thou/thee/thy" is an archaic English pronoun.

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11 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can you correct this “old English” quote?

There’s an “influencer” that came across my page who posted a quote (attributed to themselves) and I know it’s wrong but I’m not informed enough to know how wrong it is. I’m not going to do anything ...
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0 votes
0 answers
30 views

shalt: used with the pronoun thou or its relative equivalent

Shalt is used with the pronoun thou or its relative equivalent https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/shalt What does relative equivalent mean here?
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16 votes
12 answers
6k views

Does English use the word ‘thou’ in any situations nowadays? [closed]

Does English use the word thou in situations nowadays? For example, to humiliate an opponent by being overly familiar?
4 votes
1 answer
435 views

What's the proper antique equivalent to "Don't you dare"? [closed]

What's the proper antique (using "thee") equivalent to "Don't you dare"? Dare thee not? Dare not thee? Something else?
0 votes
2 answers
443 views

Verb contractions with thou

I know there are a lot of commonly accepted contractions (verb + not): aren't, haven't, isn't, don't, won't, shan't, etc. But do the contractions for art not, hast not, dost not, wilt not, shalt not, ...
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20 votes
2 answers
5k views

Meaning of "I thou thee"?

What is the meaning of "thou thee" from the quotation below referenced in this Quora answer? (Attributed to the attorney-general at Sir Walter Raleigh’s trial.) All that he did was at thy ...
1 vote
2 answers
832 views

Are the pronouns "Thee" and "Thy" considered archaisms in 19th Century poetry? [closed]

Are the pronouns "Thee" and "Thy" considered archaisms in Romantic poetry? I have La Belle Dame sans Merci by Keats in mind.
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5 votes
1 answer
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"Obscene yourself" (literally) in Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls"

I am reading Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" (an edition from 1960). Throughout the book, strong words and obscenities are replaced literally by the term "obscenity" or similar. For example (...
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5 votes
2 answers
264 views

Translating a text that requires 'T-V distinction'

I'm translating a historical fiction novel set in Medieval times. The formal and informal forms of treatment (T-V distinction) play an important role in the plot so I considered the best option was to ...
-2 votes
1 answer
424 views

What does the translator mean in English in this translation of a verse by the Urdu poet Ghalib? [closed]

Here is the translation of a verse by Ghalib [1797–1869], originally written1 in the Urdu language: Neither Asad besought cruelty, nor was thy tyranny fond of the insanity; to whatever extent I ...
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1 vote
2 answers
3k views

If "thy" is an informal pronoun, then why does The Lord's Prayer use it to refer to God? [duplicate]

The commonly used version of this Christian prayer comes from the King James Bible 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come,...
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Connection between the thou/you thee/ye forms of you and the confusion between the thorn (þ) and the letter 'y'?

There's a lot of good information in the answer to an existing question about thou/you and thee/ye, and many are familiar with how shops with the affectation of "Ye Olde Shoppe" get that "Y" from a ...
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4 votes
1 answer
18k views

"Thou shalt not pass" and "You shall not pass" hybrid

Is it technically incorrect grammar to make a hybrid of the well known statements: "Thou shalt not pass" and "You shall not pass"––this hybrid being: "You shalt not pass"? From what I understand from ...
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0 votes
1 answer
3k views

Thy used for My [closed]

Can I use the archaic English THY to interpret as MY or is this a major NO NO ? Example: upon the reveal of thy heart (meaning my heart)
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2 votes
1 answer
888 views

Is it impolite to say "thou" instead of "you"?

Would native English speakers feel offended if I address them by "thou" instead of "you"?
3 votes
1 answer
740 views

fare thee well - grammar

Why is this sentence using 'thee' (which is, afaik the oblique case) and not 'thou'? The second person singular -in this case- should be the subject, i thought. The subject is the one doing the ...
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0 votes
3 answers
13k views

"Thou" or "You"? This is the problem!

In some eastern Indo-European languages like Persian specially in its northern accent Gilaki, the words "thou", "thee", "thy",... have a same meaning and pronunciation as English. But there is a ...
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20 votes
3 answers
38k views

When should I say "thee"?

If I want to be posh, old school, when I'm writing, and decide to use "thee" then what is the correct technical usage for it? Does it simply replace "the" ?
436 votes
6 answers
152k views

Did English ever have a formal version of "you"?

From the top of my head, Danish "De" (practically never used), German "Sie", Chinese "您", French "vous", Spanish "usted" are a formal way of addressing someone, especially if one isn't familiar with ...
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51 votes
6 answers
419k views

What is the difference between "thee" and "thou"?

What is the difference between thee and thou and how are they used?
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28 votes
8 answers
262k views

What does "thy" mean?

I read a sentence containing the word thy, but I cannot find the meaning of that word. Is it older English, or is it still used in contemporary English today?
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