GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

last match results

Found 3 definitions

1.       
   thou , pron. [Sing.: nom. Thou; poss. Thy  or Thine ; obj. Thee . Pl.: nom. You ; poss. Your  or Yours ; obj. You.] [OE. thou, þu, AS. ðū, ðu; akin to OS. & OFries. thu, G., Dan. & Sw. du, Icel. þū, Goth. þu, Russ. tui, Ir. & Gael. tu, W. ti, L. tu, Gr. σύ, Dor. τύ, Skr. tvam. √185. Cf. Thee, Thine, Te Deum.] 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.
   1913 Webster
   Art thou he that should come?
   Matt. xi. 3.
   
   1913 Webster
   ☞ “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.
   
   1913 Webster
   ☞ Thou is now sometimes used by the Friends, or Quakers, in familiar discourse, though most of them corruptly say thee instead of thou.
   1913 Webster
   
         
       

2.       
   Thou, v. t. To address as thou, esp. to do so in order to treat with insolent familiarity or contempt.
   1913 Webster
   If thou thouest him some thrice, it shall not be amiss.
   Shak.
   
   1913 Webster
   
         
       

3.       
   Thou, v. i. To use the words thou and thee in discourse after the manner of the Friends. [R.]
   1913 Webster