thee English · revision 10362

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 825|origins=gem-pro *þek|origins=ine-pro *tewe}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ðiː/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English the, [[inh|ang|þē|t=thee]], the accusative and dative singular of þū, [[thou]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Proto-Germanic *þeke,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) source also of German [[m|de|dich]], Old Norse þik and Gothic þuk,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from PIE *tege-, the accusative of *tu-, the second person singular pronoun,^(Etymonline) as also in Latin tē and Greek sé.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The objective case of thou: about 825.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English the plural forms (see [[you]]) began to be used in all cases, at first as a sign of respect to a superior and later of courtesy to an equal.^(Etymonline) By the 17th century the singular forms had come to mark familiarity and lack of status, and fell out of use except in dialects,^(Etymonline) notably in Yorkshire and northern Lancashire.^(Etymonline)^(Wright 1898) The Quakers kept them for religious reasons, Christian equality of persons, and the verb ''thee'', to address someone as thee, is by 1662, in connection with Quakerism.^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) Among Friends thee was also used in the nominative.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – thee.^(OED 1989)

+ * Middle English – you used for respect.^(Etymonline)

+ * 17th century – thee familiar, falling from use.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1662 – to thee (verb).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(archaic)'' The objective case of [[thou]], used as the object of a verb or preposition.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Used as the subject by members of the Society of Friends.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To address someone as thee.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[thou]]

+ * [[thy]]

+ * [[thine]]

+ * [[you]]

+ * [[ye]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}