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
| 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 |