pl. (sing.). Forms: see below. [OE. ʓe, stressed ʓē, ʓīe, corresp. to OFris. jî, OS. gi, ge, (MLG., MDu. ghi, -i, LG., Du. gij), OHG., MHG. ir (G. ihr), ON. ér (:— *jēr), Sw., Da. i: analogically modified forms (after the 1st pers. pl. pron., e.g., OE. ʓe after we, ON. ér after vér, HG. ir after wir) of OTeut. *jūs, unaccented *juz, represented by Goth. jus, f. root yu- with pl. ending -s (cf. Zend yūš, Lith. jūs, and Skr, yū-yám).
For the declension of the 2nd pers. pron. in OE. and ME. see THOU.
In the earliest periods of English ye was restricted to the nom. pl. In the 13th c. it came to be used as a nom. sing. = ‘thou,’ first as a respectful form addressed to a superior. This use survives in modern dialects, esp. (in the form ee) in interrog. and imperative formulæ (e.g., Dee = ‘do ye’), but also in objective uses = ‘thee’ (e.g., Oi tell ee). When you had usurped the place of ye as a nom., ye came to be used (in the 15th c.), vice versa, as an objective sing. and pl. (= ‘thee’ and ‘you’).]
Now (in all uses) only dial., arch., or poet.; in ordinary use replaced by YOU.
A. Illustration of Forms:
1 ʓe, ʓie, ʓee, 2–3 ȝie, (gie, ge), 2–5 (6–8 Sc. printed ze) ȝe, 4–5 ȝee, north. yhe, 4–6 north. ȝhe, 4–7 yee (3 jȝe, hye, 4 iȝe, iye, (i)he, 7, 9 dial. yea), 3– ye.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. v. 13. Ʒee sint salt eorðes. Ibid., Luke xvi. 15. Ʒie sindon ða ðe ʓie soðfæstiʓeð iuih foræ monnum.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 217. Þenche ȝie aelc word of him swete.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 127. Ȝe ne beoð ne alesde of deofles anwalde mid golde ne mid seolure.
c. 1200. Trin. Cott. Hom., 143. Nu ȝie habbeð iherd þes wimmanes name.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1118. Hu ȝe muȝhenn lakenn Godd.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 28. Hye habbet to gode i-offred of yure selure.
c. 1275. Sinners Beware, 320, ibid. 82. To day ye schulle myd blysse To heueryche wende.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9360. Louerdinges jȝe wute wel þat [etc.].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 411 (Cott.). Als yee herd me neuen. Ibid., 19094 (Edin.). His sone … Gie … demid als ge seluin wate.
13[?]. Gosp. Nicod., 1105. Wende we to þaime, if yhe [v.r. ȝhe] rede.
13[?]. Northern Passion, 157. He seid wol iye yeue me mede?
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 68. Als yhe sal here aftirward sone.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. xxii. 29. Ȝee erren, nether knowynge the scripturis.
14[?]. Northern Passion, II. 172/306. Me þenkeþ he saide the habbet wrong.
1508. Dunbar, Poems, v. 38. Drink with my Guddame, as ȝe ga by.
1510. Reg. Privy Seal Scotl., I. 314/1. Wit zhe us to have made … oure lovit Alexander Andersoun … settar and sear of all skynnys.
1611. Bible, Gen. iii. 5. Yee shall bee as Gods.
1639. Mure, Ps. cxlviii. 9. Yea mountaines and yea hills.
1683. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 72. All yee that are willing yt the last proposition should stand so as it is.
1878. Cumbld. Gloss., Yea’s, you shall.
b. In combination, proclitically or enclitically, with other words, as: † ȝet = ye it, yare = ye are, y’have; d’ee, dee = do ye, hark’ee, harkee. Now dial.
c. 1200. Ormin, 9006. Loc ȝiff ȝet wilenn follȝhenn.
1611, 1625, 1632. [see DEE].
1631. Knevet, Rhodon & Iris, V. vi. I 3. An ample restitution, or what y’have tane from her.
1632. Brome, Northern Lass, I. ii. interrupt you, hang me. Dee hear!
1634. Ford, Perk. Warbeck, II. i. Madam, yare passionate.
1708, etc. harkee, hark’ee [see HARK v. 2 c].
1746. Exmoor Courtship (E.D.S.), 485. No, es thankee, Cozen Magery.
1775. Sheridan, St. Patr. Day, I. i. There’s a discipline, look’ee in all things. Ibid. Hark’ee, lads, I must have no grumbling.
Cf. the rhymes in the following:—
a. 1722. Prior, Cupid Mistaken, 14. Indeed, Mamma, I did not know Ye:… I took You for your Likeness, Cloe.
1774. Goldsm., Retaliation, 136. Then what was his failing? come tell it, and burn ye. He was—could he help it?—a special attorney.
B. Uses.
1. The pronoun used (as the plural of THOU) in addressing a number of persons (or, rhetorically, of things), in the nominative (or vocative).
Beowulf, 237. Hwæt syndon ʓe searohæbbendra?
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt vi. 5. Þonne ʓe eow ʓebiddon, ne beo ʓe swylce liceteras.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 15. Ȝe herde wilche laȝe weren er crist wes iboren.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 19. Ȝie ðe berð iwant fram me.
a. 1250. Prov. Ælfred, 27, in O. E. Misc., 104. Wolde ye, mi leode, lusten eure louerde, he ou wolde wyssye wisliche þinges.
c. 1300. Harrow. Hell (E.), 142. Helle ȝates, y com ȝou to, Now ich wil þat ȝe vndo.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 37. Thus be yee parted nou atuo.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 1. Good men and woymen, þys day, as ȝe knowen well, ys cleped Sonenday yn þe Aduent.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, X. lxxx. 555. My fayre felawes wete ye wel that I will torne vnto kynge Arthurs party.
a. 1529. Skelton, Agst. Garnesche, ii. 32. Cum Garnyche, cum Godfrey, with as many as ȝe may.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 34. Ye, that on the sands with printlesse foote Doe chase the ebbing-Neptune … and you, whose pastime Is to make midnight-Mushrumps.
1662. Bk. Com. Pr., Comm., Conf. Ye [1st Pr. Bk. 1549 You] that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins.
1781. Sir J. Banks, in Phil. Trans., LXXI. Shew the World that ye still are as ye always have been, worthy the Patronage of your King!
1798. Wordsw., We are Seven, vii. Yet ye are seven!—I pray you tell, Sweet Maid, how this may be.
1833. Tennyson, Death of Old Year, i. Toll ye the church-bell sad and slow.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. ii. 95. The King answered, Ye know not the reason wherefore I would kill the sage.
1902. Bridges, Matres Dolorosæ. They rode to war as if to the hunt, But ye at home, ye bore the brunt.
† b. In apposition with self (ye self, selven = yourselves): see SELF A. 2. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M. 6786 (Cott.). To cumlinges do yee right na suike, For quilum war yee seluen slike. Ibid., 14691. Bot … if yee self willi be blind.
1388. Wyclif, 1 Pet. ii. 5. And ȝe silf as quyk stoonys be ȝe aboue bildid in to spiritual housis.
c. In apposition with and preceding a sb. (or adj. used absol.) in the vocative.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VIII. 62. Ȝe Legistres and lawyers ȝe witen wher I lyȝe.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1809. Ye sustren nyne.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 333. Ȝe riche, ȝe robeth and fedeth Hem þat han as ȝe han.
1549. Latimer, 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 84. Ye brainsycke fooles, Ye hoddy peckes, Ye doddye poulles, ye huddes.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. ii. 88. Looke not to the ground, Ye Fauorites of a King.
1681. Baxter, Hymn. Ye holy Angels bright, Which stand before God’s Throne.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VIII. 634. That Blood, those Murthers, O ye Gods replace On his own Head.
1730. Thomson, A Hymn, 76. Ye woodlands all, awake.
1803–6. Wordsw., Ode Intim. Immort., iv. Ye blessed creatures, I have heard the call Ye to each other make.
2. Used instead of thou in addressing a single person (originally as a mark of respect or deference, later generally: cf. THOU, YOU).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1341. Sire emperour quaþ þe erl þo, ne be ȝe no so bolde.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8721. ‘Lauerd,’ sco said, ‘god it witschild Þat þou britten sua mi child. Yee giue him all til hir allan, Me es it leuer þan he be slan.’
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 47. Ma dame, if ye wolde have rowthe.
1411. Rolls of Parlt., III. 650/2. My Lord … I knowe wele that ye be of such birth estate and myghte that [etc.].
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 15. Moder,… be not dismayed, for ye shull neuer be Iuged to deth for my cause.
c. 1460. Promp. Parv., 549 (Winch.). Ȝetyng, with worshyp seyng ȝe not þu, vosacio.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, xxi. (Arb.), 51. Saye that ye your self haue made the lettre. Ibid. (c. 1489), Sonnes of Aymon, xiv. 336. Good lord, ye created & made our fader Adam.
1516. in Acts Parlt. Scot. (1875), XII. 36/2. We with oure lauthfull service thankis ȝoure grace of the grete Regarde ȝe Beir to the weill … of our kingis gracis person.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 26. The royall Virgin … him thus bespake … How shall I quite the paines, ye suffer for my sake?
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., I. ii. 49. Iul[ia]. Will ye be gon? Lu[cetta]. That you may ruminate.
c. 1730. Ramsay, Eagle & Robin, 45. Ze sing sae dull and ruch, Ze haif deivt our lugs.
1786. Burns, To a Louse, 19. Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight.
1866. Mrs. Lynn Linton, Lizzie Lorton, III. 159. Ye’ve dune summut ye’re sorry for.
1872. Tennyson, Gareth & Lynette, 1142. ‘Damsel,’ he said, ‘ye be not all to blame.’
1873. Oxfordshire Gloss., Ee … is a more refined word than thee…. ‘Who did ee see up strit?’… Ee is used to a superior, and not thee.
1878. Hardy, Ret. Native, I. iii. Be ye a-cold, Christian?
b. In apposition with and preceding a sb. in the vocative.
a. 1596. Sir T. More, I. i. 11. Compell me, ye dogges face!
1599. Chapman, Hum. dayes Myrth, Plays, 1873, I. 69. O ye impudent gossip.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xxix. Ye donnered auld runt.
3. Used as objective (accusative or dative) instead of you (in plural or singular sense).
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xvi. 86. Y preie ȝe seie ȝe to me [etc.].
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, 163. We leaue ye here behynde.
1594. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, IV. iv. For this will Dido tye ye full of knots,… Ye shall no more offend the Carthage Queene.
a. 1596. Sir T. More, I. i. 110. He is in a good forwardnesse, I tell ye, if all hit right.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., V. iii. 181. As I haue made ye one Lords, one remaine: So I grow stronger, you more Honour gaine.
1624. Bedell, Lett., iv. 73. This no Protestant will grant yee.
c. 1650. Milton, Sonn., On new Forcers Consc. To … ride us with a classic Hierarchy Taught ye by meer A. S. and Rotherford. Ibid. (1667), P. L., II. 840. I … shall … bring ye to the place.
1721. Ramsay, Richy & Sandy, 18. I’ll bear ye Company for Year and Day.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxii. There’s saxpence t’ ye to buy half a mutchkin.
1820. Byron, Mar. Fal., V. i. 198. Was not the place of Doge sufficient for ye?
1827. Keble, Chr. Y., 2nd Sunday Advent, vi. Ye, who your Lord’s commission bear, His way of mercy to prepare: Angels He calls ye.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, lxxii. ‘Go thy ways with him, sir,’ cried the sexton, ‘and Heaven be with ye both!’
1847. Halliwell, Dict. (1889), I. p. xiv/1. I’d soon yarn sum munney, I warrant ye.
1866. Lytton, Lost Tales Miletus, 127. The morrow’s sun shall light ye homeward both.
† b. Used redundantly (‘ethical dative’). Obs.
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev. (1708), 6. He comes ye laden forsooth, with Letters of Recommendations.
1768. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 471. He cannot make a handsome bow, nor run ye off an elegant period.
Hence † Ye v., to use ‘ye’ instead of ‘thou’ in addressing a single person: cf. THOU v., YEET v.
1483. Cath. Angl., 426/1. To ȝe, vosare jn plurali numero vos vestrum vel tibi.
1510. Promp. Parv., 537/2 (W. de W.). Yeyn or sey ye, voso.
