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thee

pron.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈði// UK //ðˈiː// thee Archaic Dialect Literary

pron. an old-fashioned way to say 'you'. It is used when 'you' is the object of a sentence, like when someone gives something to you.

pron. the objective case of the second-person singular pronoun 'thou'. Archaic or literary in register; still used in some regional dialects and religious contexts.


SIMPLE

I give this gift to thee.

CONTEXTUAL

The poet wrote a beautiful sonnet expressing how much he cherished the time spent with thee.

COMPLEX

In many traditional hymns and classical literary works, the speaker addresses the divine or a beloved using thee to signify a specific level of intimacy or reverence.

Etymology 1

From Middle English þe, from Old English þē (“thee”, originally dative, but later also accusative, supplanting accusative þec), from Proto-Germanic þiz (“thee”), from Proto-Indo-European te (“second-person singular pronoun”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“thee”), West Frisian dy (“thee”), German Low German di (“thee”), German dir (“thee”, dative pron.), Icelandic þér (“thee”). More at thou.

Etymology 2

From Middle English theen (“to increase, prosper, flourish”), from Old English þēon (“to thrive, prosper, flourish, grow”), from Proto-Germanic þinhaną (“to thrive, succeed”), from Proto-Indo-European tenk- (“to succeed, turn out well”). Cognate with Dutch gedijen (“to flourish, thrive, prosper, succeed”), German gedeihen (“to thrive”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (gaþeihan, “to increase, thrive”).

Etymology 3

From Pitman zee, which it is related to phonetically and graphically, and the sound it represents.

Etymology 4

Respelling of the popularized by Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.

Usage

Functions as the object of a verb or preposition, corresponding to the modern 'you'.

Pitfall

Thee are my friendThou art my friendThee is the object form; thou is the subject form used before a verb.

Idioms2 entries

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