ye

1 of 2

pronoun

: you sense 1
used originally only as a plural pronoun of the second person in the subjective case and now used especially in ecclesiastical or literary language and in various English dialects

ye

2 of 2

definite article

(ˌ)yē How to pronounce ye (audio)
;
 originally same as  1the
archaic
: the
Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe

Word History

Etymology

Pronoun

Middle English, from Old English ; akin to Old High German ir you — more at you

Definite article

alteration of Middle English þe the, from Old English þē; from the use of the letter y by printers and scribes of late Middle English to represent þ (th) of earlier manuscripts

First Known Use

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Definite Article

1551, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ye was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ye

Cite this Entry

“Ye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ye. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ye

1 of 2 pronoun

ye

2 of 2 definite article
yē How to pronounce ye (audio)
,
 or like the 
archaic
: the
Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe
Etymology

Pronoun

Old English "you"

Definite article

an altered form of Old English þē "the"; because the handwritten forms of þ and y in old manuscripts looked much alike, early printers used y when the obsolete þ was not available

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