thou Meaning, Definition & Usage

Thou pronoun

Etymology

OE. thou, þu, AS. &edh;&umac;, &edh;u; akin to OS. & OFries. thu, G., Dan. & Sw. du, Icel. þ&umac;, Goth. þu, Russ. tui, Ir. & Gael. tu, W. ti, L. tu, Gr. sy`, Dor. ty`, Skr. tvam. *185. Cf. Thee, Thine, Te Deum.

Wordforms

singular : nominative Thou; possessive Thy or Thine ; objective Thee plural : nominative You ; possessive Your or Yours ; objective You

Definitions

1. The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn or poetical style.

   Art thou he that should come? Matt. xi. 3.

   ✍ "In Old English, generally, thou is the language of a lord to a servant, of an equal to an equal, and expresses also companionship, love, permission, defiance, scorn, threatening: whilst ye is the language of a servant to a lord, and of compliment, and further expresses honor, submission, or entreaty." Skeat. ✍ Thou is now sometimes used by the Friends, or Quakers, in familiar discourse, though most of them corruptly say thee instead of thou.

Thou transitive verb

Definitions

1. To address as thou, esp. to do so in order to treat with insolent familiarity or contempt.

   If thou thouest him some thrice, it shall not be amiss. Shak.

Thou intransitive verb

Definitions

1. To use the words thou and thee in discourse after the manner of the Friends. R.