Where does “ye” come from?
Ye derives from Middle English ye, from Old Norse þeir, ultimately tracing through Proto-Indo-European te, to-, h₂ekʷeh₂, and só.
ye (English): You; You, refers to one person addressed; Address...
Definitions
- You; You, refers to one person addressed; Address...
Ancestry of “ye”, step by step
ye traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English yë
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | yë | Alternative form of eie |
| 2 | Old English | ġē | ye |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | jahw | and, also |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -hw | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -hwe | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -kʷe | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
via English yes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | yes | Used to show agreement or acceptance; Used to... |
| 2 | Middle English | yes | Alternative form of is; plural of ye; Alternative... |
| 3 | Old English | ġīese | "yes"; literally, "so be it" |
via Russian е
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | е | The name of the Cyrillic-script letter Е; yeah!,... |