ye

¹ American  

[yee] / ji /

pronoun

1. Archaic, except in some elevated or ecclesiastical prose Literary, or British Dialect.

   1. (used nominatively as the plural of thou especially in rhetorical, didactic, or poetic contexts, in addressing a group of persons or things).

      O ye of little faith; ye brooks and hills.

   2. (used nominatively for the second person singular, especially in polite address).

      Do ye not know me?

   3. (used objectively in the second person singular or plural).

      I have something to tell ye. Arise, the enemy is upon ye!

2. (used with mock seriousness in an invocation, mild oath, or the like).

   Ye gods and little fishes!

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ye ² American  

[thee, yee] / ði, ji /

definite article

Archaic.

1. the.

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ye ¹ British  

/ jɪ, jiː /

pronoun

1. archaic refers to more than one person including the person addressed but not including the speaker

2. Also: ee.  dialect refers to one person addressed

   I tell ye

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ye ² British  

/ jiː, ðiː /

determiner

1. a form of the, used in conjunction with other putative archaic spellings

   ye olde oake

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ye ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Yemen

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Spelling

The word ye2 , as in Ye Olde Booke Shoppe, is simply an archaic spelling of the definite article the. The use of the letter Y was a printer's adaptation of the thorn, þ, the character in the Old English alphabet representing the th- sounds (th) and (th̸) in Modern English; Y was the closest symbol in the Roman alphabet. Originally, the form would have been rendered as  or ye. The pronunciation today is a spelling pronunciation.

Etymology

Origin of ye

before 900; Middle English; Old English gē; cognate with Dutch gij, German ihr, Old Norse ēr, Gothic jus

Example Sentences

The book is signed on the inside front cover in black ballpoint pen by Sir Paul, reading: "All the best! to ye!"

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

The former is known for promoting evangelism, as seen in Jesus’ directive in Mark 16:15: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Chloé Zhao’s ye olde dysfunctional marriage weepie deserved a supporting actor nomination for 12-year-old Jacobi Jupe, who is so heartbreaking as William Shakespeare’s brave son that he casts a spell over the movie.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

Ho quoted from the Bible, Matthew 7:7—“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

From Salon • May 19, 2024

Reverend Carey preached to black worshipers in several black churches: “Be ye also ready.”

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield