| they, pron., adj., adv., and n.falsefalse$Revision$Pronunciation:  , Forms:
1.α. early Middle English hay (northern; perhaps transmission error), early Middle English þeȝȝ ( Ormulum), early Middle English ðeȝȝ ( Ormulum), early Middle English ðei, Middle English ai (transmission error), Middle English ȝei (East Anglian), Middle English ȝey (Norfolk and Surrey), Middle English þai, Middle English þaie, Middle English þaij, Middle English þaþ (northern), Middle English þauȝ (perhaps transmission error), Middle English þay, Middle English þaye, Middle English þeȝ, Middle English þei, Middle English þeie, Middle English þeih, Middle English þey, Middle English þeye, Middle English thae (south-west midlands), Middle English þhei, Middle English theigh, Middle English theyȝ, Middle English yae, Middle English yai, Middle English yaie, Middle English yaye, Middle English yeie, Middle English yia (transmission error), Middle English–1500s thai, Middle English–1500s thaie, Middle English–1500s thaye, Middle English–1500s yay, Middle English–1500s yei, Middle English–1500s yey, Middle English–1600s thei, Middle English–1600s theie, Middle English–1600s theye, Middle English–1700s thay, Middle English– they, 1500s thej, 1600s theij, 1600s–1700s th'; English regional 1800s– thaay, 1800s– thae (north-eastern), 1800s– thay (chiefly south-western and south-west midlands); U.S. regional 1900s– thei' (in sense , in African-American usage); Scottish pre-1700 thaie, pre-1700 thaiy, pre-1700 theie, pre-1700 yai, pre-1700 yaj, pre-1700 yay, pre-1700 yey, pre-1700 yhai, pre-1700 1700s– thay, pre-1700 1700s– they, pre-1700 1800s thae, pre-1700 1800s thaye, pre-1700 1800s thei, pre-1700 1800s theye, pre-1700 1800s– thai. c1175 Ormulum
(Burchfield transcript)
l. 125–7
& swa þeȝȝ leddenn heore lif Till þatt teȝȝ wærenn alde. Þatt naffdenn ðeȝȝ þurrh þeȝȝre streon. Ne sune child. ne dohhterr. a1200
(▸?OE)
MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies
(1873)
2nd Ser. 189
Fleshliche lustes..beoð þe smeðere him to biswikende for þan þe þei nehȝie wunien. a1250 Wohunge ure Lauerd in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies
(1868)
1st Ser. 277
Þai grennede for gladschipe euchan toward oðer, as wode wulues þat fainen of hare praie. a1325
(▸c1250)
Gen. & Exod.
(1968)
l. 573
Mete quorbi ðei migten liuen. a1325
(▸?a1300)
in G. H. McKnight Middle Eng. Humorous Tales
(1913)
24
Gef yat hay may heng hey, And gef yat hy may se, Yat yay be heng' on a tre.
▸
c1384 Bible
(Wycliffite, E.V.)
(Douce 369(2))
(1850)
Matt. vi. 5
Thei han resseyued her meede. c1400
(▸c1378)
W. Langland Piers Plowman
(Laud 581)
(1869)
B. xix. 416
Þere they ligge..moste, lecherye þere regneth. c1405
(▸c1387–95)
G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol.
(Hengwrt)
(2003)
l. 40
To telle yow al the condicion Of eech of hem..whiche they weere and of what degree. a1450
(▸a1338)
R. Mannyng Chron.
(Lamb.)
(1887)
i. l. 2747
Þay wyste alle at ones. c1450
(▸?a1402)
J. Trevisa De Regimine Principum
(Digby 233)
f. 3
Theyȝ that bien corrupt appetite defre in other sciens. a1500
(▸a1450)
Generides
(Trin. Cambr.)
l. 2633
So fought yei still. a1557 J. Cheke tr. Gospel St. Matthew
(1843)
xxvi. 15
Yei appointed him 30 silverlinges. c1560 A. Scott Poems
(S.T.S.)
ii. 101
Than to Dalkeith thai maid thame boun. 1586 in W. Fraser Chiefs of Grant
(1883)
III. 163
Wyth sic diligens as thae gwdlie may. c1603–8 J. Kamington in R. Maitland Geneal. House & Surname Setoun
(1830)
39
Thy constant clan thaiy ar discend of kings. 1622 in H. Paton Suppl. Rep. MSS Earl of Mar & Kellie
(1930)
104
Be all lykelyeheade thaye are at Prage before this tyme, or then thaye have fothin a battell. 1674 S. Butler Hudibras
(new ed.)
i. i. 20
They stoutly in defence on't stood..And till th' were storm'd, and beaten out Ne'r left the Fortify'd Redoubt. 1709 J. Watson Choice Coll. Scots Poems ii. 20
Amaisdlie, and baisdlie, Richt bissilie thay ran. 1775 J. Greenman Jrnl. Dec. in Diary of Common Soldier
(1978)
23
Thay formed them Selvs along the rampers. 1857 H. S. Riddell Bk. Psalms Lowland Sc. xxi. 11
Ane mischeevous contræivence whilk thaye werna yeable til carryie throwe. 1889 E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley & Corringham, Lincs.
(ed. 2)
(at cited word)
Thaay could n't tell what it was maade on fer dirt. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie & Tam 12
Thae were confronted at ilka turn by birkies wi' broads afore and ahint them. 1968 H. Oster in A. Dundes Mother Wit
(1973)
554/1
They steal the chickens, then they would tie thei' legs together. 1995 D. Purves Hert’s Bluid 20
At the tyme thai open Paurliement, thai hae ane unco chiel, Blek Rod, that thryce maun chap the chaumer dure. 2012 Independent on Sunday 15 Jan. (New Review) 23/3
What will they do? β. early Middle English teȝȝ ( Ormulum), Middle English day, Middle English dei, Middle English ta, Middle English tai, Middle English tay, Middle English tei, Middle English tey, Middle English (1800s– regional) dey; U.S. regional 1900s– day (in African-American usage); Scottish pre-1700 dai (south-western), pre-1700 day (south-western), 1800s– dey (Shetland and Orkney); Caribbean 1900s– da, 1900s– deh, 1900s– dey. c1175 Ormulum
(Burchfield transcript)
l. 18218
Forr þatt teȝȝ wolldenn bliþeliȝ. Harrdnenn..Þatt teȝȝre bapptisstess fulluhht. Wass bettre. a1250 Wohunge ure Lauerd in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies
(1868)
1st Ser. 273
Þu band ta helle dogges, and reftes ham hare praie þat tai hefden grediliche gripen. a1300
(▸?a1250)
Serm.
(Trin. Cambr.)
in Bull. Mod. Humanities Res. Assoc.
(1928)
2 106
Among manie oþere songis, þat litil ben wort þat tei singin, so sein þei þus. ?a1350 Guy of Warwick
(BL Add.)
(1974)
l. 1089
It was na man that tay come ate That al tu dust thay hym smate. a1400
(▸a1325)
Cursor Mundi
(Coll. Phys.)
23254
Þat dreri din, þat balful berre, Þat ta [a1400 Vesp. þai] witoutin stint sal here. a1425 Rule St. Benet
(Lansd.)
(1902)
10
Yeme þaim, þat tay foliz þe wordis of god. 1449 R. Wenyngton in Paston Lett. & Papers
(2005)
III. 69
And dey bade do my wurst, by cause I had so fewe schyppys and so smale, that they scornyd wyth me. c1450
(▸a1400)
Libeaus Desconus
(Calig. A.ii)
(1969)
538
Þus departede day, Lybeaus and þat may, As þey hadden tyȝt. 1832 W. Irving Jrnl.
(1919)
III. 180
‘Look at these Delawares,’ say the Osages, ‘dey got short legs—no can run—must stand and fight a great heap.’ 1898 ‘Junda’ Echoes from Klingrahool 6
Dey liftet der faces ta ljook at da sky. 1931 J. T. S. Leask Peculiar People 125
Dey haved doon deir etches, luppid api deir horse, an' reed for da Skerries at a spunder. 1994 L. Johnson in J. Robertson Tongue in yer Heid 164
Dey solisted a meenit, dan a blue-cled wife got oot, an da car set aff fer da nordert. γ. Middle English þe, Middle English ye, Middle English–1600s the; Scottish pre-1700 the. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies
(1873)
2nd Ser. 201
Alle holie beden ben godfruhte men biheue, ac þe ben swo fele þat hie ben arfeð tellen. c1300
(▸?c1225)
King Horn
(Laud)
(1901)
141
Of schip þe gon fonde; An sette fot on grunde. c1300 Evangelie
(Dulwich Coll.)
401 in Publ. Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer.
(1915)
30 572
Wyt blisful chere an gamin ant gle Alle ye [printed þe; c1425 Bodl. Add. þei] comin þ[e] child to se, Ant ye [printed þe; c1425 Bodl. Add. þan] seide þe frendis alle, ‘Zacarie þei wolde him cal[l]e.’ a1400
(▸a1325)
Cursor Mundi
(Trin. Cambr.)
13513
He bad geder þe relef of hepes, Þerwiþ þe fulde twelue lepes. 1466 in J. C. Cox Notes on Churches Derbyshire
(1879)
IV. 86
Another chesable of Rede yt the syng The masse in. c1475 Gregory's Chron. in J. Gairdner Hist. Coll. Citizen London
(1876)
213
To sette the pavys where the lykyd. c1540
(▸?a1400)
Gest Historiale Destr. Troy
(2002)
f. 123
When the knewen all the cause þo kynges bydene All denyed it anon. 1542 in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700
(1998)
335
Praying myne exceketryx & oversears to be lovers to my sole as the wollde that I shold be to thars beyng in lyke kasse. 1568 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS
(1928)
II. 148
The spend the pelf thame betwene. c1600 Hist. & Life James VI
(1804)
121
The [ed. 1825: Thay] spairt not to cum againes uther in oppin hostilitie. 1655 Mouswald Kirk Session 9 Dec.
Whether or no the take cairfull inspectione into the cariage of famileis..to sie if they leiv soberlie and cristianlie. 1683 in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700
(1998)
308
Wee suppose the might keep of by Reason of a Late distemper of the small pox. δ. Middle English thi, Middle English thy, Middle English thye, Middle English þi, Middle English þy, Middle English þye, Middle English þyi, Middle English yi (northern and north midlands), Middle English yie (East Anglian), Middle English yy (northern); Scottish pre-1700 thy; Irish English (Wexford) 1800s thye. Slightly earlier evidence is provided by Ling. Atlas Late Mediaeval Eng., which records forms þye, þyi from a copy of Prick of Conscience in the mid 14th-cent. MS Canterbury Cathedral Lit. D.13 (whose scribal language is placed in Wiltshire).a1400
(▸c1300)
Archbishop & Nun
(Coll. Phys.)
in J. Small Eng. Metrical Homilies
(1862)
87
Þi [printed thai] wend alle that he sek ware.
▸
c1426 J. Audelay Poems
(1931)
193
To castelles and setis þi floyn away. a1450 Mandeville's Trav.
(Bodl. e Mus.)
83
Thi shere awey the right pappe, for it shal not lette hem for to shete. a1450
(▸c1400)
in D. M. Grisdale 3 Middle Eng. Serm.
(1939)
22
Þi mad fro day to day gret sorw. c1475 St. Margaret
(Yale Beinecke 365)
l. 63 in L. T. Smith Common-place Bk. 15th Cent.
(1886)
109
Talys she gowd will tell..of other seyntes many moo, How they syffyryd wyll and woo, And how thye dede ther mertydam take. a1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent.
(1939)
128
Forth to bedlem þan þe rode..Vn-tyll yie [printed þie] were—Vntyll yie [printed þie] were þer ihu lay. 1644 in W. Fraser Memorials Family Wemyss
(1888)
III. 92
Thy haue wirrtin to you. 1657 A. Johnston Diary
(1940)
III. 84
If thy maid not good use of it the blayme should lye at their awen doore. 1684 J. Stewart Let. in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700
(1998)
219
Thes thy sead in may own herien. a1827 J. Poole Gloss. in T. P. Dolan & D. Ó Muirithe Dial. Forth & Bargy
(1996)
Thye..They. ε. Middle English ȝa (northern), Middle English þa, Middle English tha, Middle English yaa, Middle English–1500s ya; English regional 1700s– tha; Scottish pre-1700 tha, pre-1700 ya; Irish English 2000s– tha (northern). a1400
(▸a1325)
Cursor Mundi
(Coll. Phys.)
l. 19359
Þa [a1400 Vesp. þai] wente ioifuler þan are, Na noȝte þai menid of þair sare. c1400 Brut
(Rawl. B. 171)
85
When Kay and Bedwere hade herde al þat þis woman hade tolde, þa turnede aȝeyne, and comen to Kyng Arthure, & tolde him al þat þai hade seyne & harde.
▸
1435 R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Fire of Love 118
Þa suffer not þer þoght wauyr fro god, so þat qwen þa rise to pray, þa be qwhickar þen þai before were. 1483 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes
(1839)
I. 81/2
The malis of the said landis to remain as tha now do vntakin vp be ony partii. a1500 Rule Third Order St. Francis in W. W. Seton Two 15th Cent. Franciscan Rules
(1914)
48
Tha must restore all that thay haue of oder mennes goodes.
▸
?a1505 R. Henryson Ressoning betuix Deth & Man 18 in Poems
(1981)
174
My name, at me forsuth sen that thow speirs, Tha call me Deid. 1522 J. Vaus Rudimenta i. sig. bb
Amantut, tha ar lwfit. 1524 in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700
(1998)
233
Ya cum nott throhe loncaschyre. 1557 in W. Mackay & H. C. Boyd Rec. Inverness
(1911)
I. 8
Quhat ever tha be that makis fyr in the Ellon salbe punist with ane nale in his luge. a1600
(▸1535)
W. Stewart tr. H. Boece Bk. Cron. Scotl.
(1858)
II. 720
Forlane, tha sa, suld ay cum lauchand hame. a1789 I. Ritson Borrowdale Let. 7 in Misc. Wks. Tim Bobbin
(1793)
Tha feed tem wi beck-sand, as tha dya at Whitehebben wi cwols. 1844 W. Barnes Witch in Poems Rural Life in Dorset Dial. 280
An' every time the voke went up to bed Tha wer a-hagrod till tha wer hafe dead. a1920 T. Armstrong Marla Hill Ducks in B. Griffiths Stotty 'n' Spice Cake
(2006)
141
If he'd geen them a chance, tha wid awl geten bail. 2002 Belfast News Let. 2 Feb. 20
Bit whun tha staurtet tae claud thur gear aff tha lorrie tha wus makin a quare rackit. ζ. Scottish (northern and north-eastern) 1800s– 'ey, 1900s– ey. 1890 J. Sinclair Scenes & Stories 194
The Sinclairs hae had a' 'e honours in Caitness 'is mony a day, an 'ey can tak' 'at wi' 'e lave. 1909 D. Houston 'E Silkie Man 10
'Ey thocht id micht be wancanny. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xxvi. 240
'Ey rinkit 'e place first ava tae see gin 'ere wis onybody harkenin in a hidie-holie. 2003 A. Smith Sair Fecht
(SCOTS)
Trees are affa bonny jist noo, As ey tak on their Winter hue. 2. Combined (sometimes in contracted form) with a following word (usually a verb). early Middle English þeȝȝ- ( Ormulum), Middle English þai-, 1500s–1600s thei-, 1500s–1700s th-, 1500s–1700s th'-, 1500s– they-; English regional 1700s tea- ( Lancashire), 1700s–1800s tey- ( Lancashire), 1800s thai-, 1800s– th-, 1800s– th'-, 1800s– tha-, 1800s– thay-, 1800s– the-, 1800s– thea-, 1800s– thi- ( Lancashire); Scottish 1800s de- ( Shetland), 1800s th-, 1900s– 'ey- ( north-eastern), 2000s– thay-. Frequently with contracted verbs, where an apostrophe is now standard. c1175 Ormulum
(Burchfield transcript)
l. 19716
Acc þeȝȝt rihht nohht ne wisstenn. Þatt wass all soþ. a1400
(▸a1325)
Cursor Mundi
(Coll. Phys.)
23797
Quat þair to fand, to tel þe soþe, Baþe me wantis tung and toþe. 1524 Vision xiv, in Evergreen I. 220
Theyil jade hir and blad hir Untill scho brak hir Tether. c1540 in Weever Anc. Fun. Mon.
(1631)
282
God grant hem euirlastyng lyff, To whom we hop thar gon. ?1577 Misogonus ii. iv, in R. W. Bond Early Plays from Ital.
(1911)
231
Their all come. 1594 J. Ogle Lament. Troy sig. E3
Swelling with fome through Aeolus puffing pride, So do they yell when they're by Hectors side. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xx. 119
Down from the wast tha're centaures, though women all aboue. 1611 Second Maiden's Trag.
(1909)
i. ii. 10
Th'eir fellow prisoners. 1635 Praise of Nothing
(single sheet)
Theil hav't although they break their brains or bring themselves to nothing. 1707 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II. vii. 18
Th'ad put the holy Puppet on A Surplice. ?1746 ‘T. Bobbin’ View Lancs. Dial. 27
Then it wou'd be os plene os Blackstonedge ot tearn meying an arrant Gawby on meh. 1817 in Gentleman's Mag.
(1836)
2 589
Dwyne yun fasin, gin hit beena da vyldest itt ivver dere faen apun yit. ?1851 A. Bywater Gossips 19
O think they'n good gin at Beggar'd Choild. 1860 J. P. Kay-Shuttleworth Scarsdale II. 285
Teyn turned me eawt o' t'work-heause. 1924 J. Wight in Swatches o' Hamespun 74
Aw gat 'em fae Dauvit's muckle dother, fin she wis oot at the trips; an' awyte, 'ey're rale gweed an' strong. 1981 P. Niesewand Word of Gentleman xix. 126
You don't think they'd sing like canaries?.. They'll sing, Claud... If they thought it would help them, they'd tell on their mothers. 2010 Countryfile Feb. 38/3
They've got it all wrong. They'll find Snowdonia..stunning, but they're all missing the chance to see it during the best month: February. Origin: A borrowing from early Scandinavian. Etymology: < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic þeir (masculine, nominative), þá (masculine, accusative), þǽr (feminine), þau (neuter), Old Norwegian þeir , þæir (masculine, nominative), þá (masculine, accusative), þǽr (feminine), þau , þu (neuter) (Norwegian (Nynorsk) dei , (Bokmål) de ), Old Swedish þēr , þē , þǣr (masculine, nominative), þē , þā (masculine, accusative), þār , þā , þēr , þē , þǣ , þǣr (feminine), þēn , þē (neuter) (Swedish de ), Old Danish the , thæ (nominative, all genders) (Danish de ), Old Gutnish þair (masculine, nominative), þā (masculine, accusative), þār (feminine), þaun (neuter)), reflecting a set of forms which fulfil the function of the third person plural personal pronoun as well as of the demonstrative pronoun from the earliest recorded stages of the Scandinavian languages, although in origin they are forms of the demonstrative pronoun (see ). Circumstances of borrowing and pattern of spread in Middle English. This pronoun occurs earliest in texts which show considerable lexical influence from early Scandinavian. Its borrowing was probably largely a response to a functional pressure, to disambiguate the third person plural pronoun from the masculine and feminine singular forms; compare discussion of form history at (the native third person plural form) and at and The same pressure probably prompted the subsequent spread of this pronoun form within English; compare for a similar process affecting the third person singular feminine subject form. The spread of they was very gradual: it is already the invariable form in the Ormulum (compare quot. ), but forms of still remain the norm in some texts of southern provenance up to the end of the 14th cent. The subject form they appears, however, generally to have been adopted more rapidly than the object and possessive forms and This appears true both of the initial borrowing and of the subsequent spread within English. For example, in the Ormulum the forms found for the possessive and object functions vary, still being found although predominates, while for the object form is less common in this text than (being found chiefly after a vowel). Similarly, if one considers a much later text from outside the area of heaviest Scandinavian influence, the early 15th-cent. Hengwrt manuscript of Chaucer has they as the usual subject form, but retains and as the usual possessive and object forms. In view of these factors, it is possible that and may partly show analogical alteration of and Form history. The reflect loss of initial th- in low-stress positions (e.g. in pronouns, the definite article, etc.), which is a characteristic feature of northern and north-eastern varieties of Scots (compare , , etc.). For early Middle English instances of the spelling þaie as personal pronoun see (probably etymologically distinct) There is also some formal overlap with and Instances of the form þa from northern Middle English sources occurring in demonstrative or antecedent function have been placed at ; for Scots forms occurring in such functions see Specific uses. The uses in senses and may have originated as variants of and respectively; for the perception of this compare the form thei' which occurs in sense . (Show Less) A. pron. The subjective case of the third person plural pronoun; the plural of he, she, or it. I. As personal pronoun. 1. The people, animals, or things previously mentioned or implied or easily identified. 2. In anaphoric reference to a singular noun or pronoun. Use of they to refer to a singular antecedent has sometimes been considered erroneous. 3. As indefinite pronoun. Cf. . 4. Used for the objective case; = II. As antecedent pronoun with postmodifying clause or phrase. Cf. , , , . 5. Followed by a relative clause. Those people ( that, † which, who); = , . B. adj. ( determiner). 1. As demonstrative determiner, with plural noun: = , ; (also frequently with weaker sense) = Now English regional (chiefly southern) and nonstandard. Cf. . Back to top
| | This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2013; most recently modified version published online December 2021). In this entry:In other dictionaries: | Sort by: Entry | Date - thew, n.1c888
- thew, n.2c1273
- thew, v.c1175
- thewed, adj.c1200
- thewedly, adv.a1400
- thewful, adj.?c1225
- thewless, adj.a1327
- thewness, n.c1200
- thewy, adj.1845
- they, pron., adj., a...c1175
- they-all, pron.1887
- theyght, adj.1536
- theyself, pron.1856
- theyselves, pron.1587
- thiabendazole, n.1961
- thiamazole, n.1971
- thiamine, n.1887
- thiasus | thiasos, n.1820
- thiazide, n.1959
- thiazolidine, n.1916
- thick, adj. and n.c825
- thick, v.a1000
- thick, adv.971
- thick and thin, n., ...c1386
- thicken, v.c1425
- thickener, n.1652
- thickening, n.1580
- thickening, adj.1721
- thicker, n.1520
- thicket, n.a1000
- thickfold, adv. (and...a1400
- thick-head, n.1824
- thick-headed, adj.1707
- thickie, n.1968
- thickish, adj.1540
- thick-knee, n.1776
- thick-leaved | thick...1582
- thick-lipped, adj.a1529
- thickly, adv.c1400
- thickness, n.a900
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