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ye

ye¹ definition

ye (t̸hə, t̸hi, t̸hē; now often erroneously or facetiously yē)

adjective, definite article

Archaic the: y was substituted by early printers for the thorn (þ), the Old and Middle English character representing the sound (t̸h) or (t̸h): sometimes written “y”

ye² definition

ye (yē)

pronoun

Archaic you: first used only as nominative plural, later as nominative singular, and still later, esp. in dialectal speech, as objective singular and plural

Etymology: ME < OE ge, ye, nom. pl. corresponding to thu, thou, akin to Goth jus, but with vowel modified after we (see we): for IE base see you

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
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