you
[yoo; unstressed yoo, yuh]
pronoun, possessive your or yours, objective you, plural you.
noun, plural yous.
something or someone closely identified with or resembling the person addressed: Don't buy the bright red shirt—it just isn't you. It was like seeing another you.
the nature or character of the person addressed: Try to discover the hidden you.
Origin of you
before 900; Middle English; Old English ēow (dative, accusative of gē ye1); cognate with Old Frisian ju, Old Saxon iu, Dutch u, Old High German iu, eu
Usage note
In American English the pronoun you has been supplemented by additional forms to make clear the distinction between singular and plural. You-all, often pronounced as one syllable, is a widespread spoken form in the South Midland and Southern United States. Its possessive is often you-all's rather than your. You-uns (from you + ones ) is a South Midland form most often found in uneducated speech; it is being replaced by you-all. Youse ( you + the plural -s ending of nouns), probably of Irish-American origin, is most common in the North, especially in urban centers like Boston, New York, and Chicago. It is rare in educated speech. You guys is a common informal expression among younger speakers; it can include persons of both sexes or even a group of women only. See also me.
thou
1[th ou]
pronoun, singular, nominative thou; possessive thy or thine; objective thee; plural, nominative you or ye; possessive your or yours; objective you or ye.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
Origin of thou
1before 900; Middle English; Old English thū; cognate with German, Middle Dutch du, Old Norse thū, Gothic thu, Old Irish tú, Welsh, Cornish ti, Latin tū, Doric Greek tý, Lithuanian tù, OCS ty; akin to Sanskrit tvam; (v.) late Middle English thowen, derivative of the pronoun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
you
pronoun (subjective or objective)
noun
Word Origin for you
Old English ēow, dative and accusative of gē ye 1; related to Old Saxon eu, Old High German iu, Gothic izwis
xref
See me 1
thou
1pronoun (subjective)
Word Origin for thou
Old English thū; related to Old Saxon thū, Old High German du, Old Norse thū, Latin tū, Doric Greek tu
thou
2noun plural thous or thou
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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thou
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
you
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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