Etymologically
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thy

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 14:20. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈðaɪ̯/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English thi, a reduced form of þin, thine,[2][3][4][5] from Old English þīn, the genitive of þū, thou.[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of or belonging to thee: before 1175 in the OED, the late 12th century in Etymonline;[7][2] thi probably before 1200, in the Ancrene Riwle.[3]

Semantic evolution

Until the 15th century it was used only before consonants other than h, with thine before vowels, in the same way as my and mine or a and an.[2][3][5] It is the possessive of thou, and in modern use belongs only to solemn style.[2][8] The EDD records it in northern English and Scots dialect speech.[9]

Timeline

  • before 1175 – thi.[7]
  • 15th century – used before vowels too.[2]

Modern meaning

Determiner

  1. (archaic) Your, of or belonging to thee.

Word family

  • beggar-thy-neighbor

Usage notes

The OED also records an Old English adverb thy, therefore, because (about 897),[7] and thy as an obsolete spelling of thigh.[7]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  9. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)