þu

See also: -þu, þú, and thu

Gothic

Romanization

þū

1. Romanization of 𐌸𐌿

Middle English

Pronoun

þu

1. Alternative form of þou (“thou”)

Old English

Alternative forms

• ðū

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þū, from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂.

Cognate with Old Frisian thū, Old Saxon thū, Old Dutch thū, Old High German dū, Old Norse þú, Gothic 𐌸𐌿 (þū). Non-Germanic cognates include Latin tū and Ancient Greek σύ (sú).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θuː/

Pronoun

þū

1. you, thou (nominative singular)

Usage notes

Unlike later (Middle and Early Modern) usage of "thou", Old English þū was simply a singular pronoun, with no connotation of informality or disrespect.

Declension

Old English personal pronouns

			nominative	accusative	dative	genitive
singular	first person		iċ	mē, mec	mē	mīn
	second person		þū	þē, þec	þē	þīn
	third person	neuter	hit		him	his
		masculine	hē	hine
		feminine	hēo	hīe	hire
dual	first person		wit	unc, uncit	unc	uncer
	second person		ġit	inc, incit	inc	incer
plural	first person		wē	ūs, ūsiċ	ūs	ūre, ūser
	second person		ġē	ēow, ēowic	ēow	ēower
	third person		hīe		him	heora

Descendants

• Middle English: þou, thou, þu, thu, þoue, thoue, þowe, thowe, þouȝ, thouȝ, þue, ðhu, þeu, þeou, thugh, thogh, þo, tu, tou, towe, you
  • English: thou, tha (Yorkshire, Lancashire), thow, thu, du (Scotland), thoo (Orkney)
  • Scots: thou, du, thoo
  • Yola: thou, th'

Old Swedish

Alternative forms

• thū, tū, ᚦᚢ

Etymology

From Old Norse þú, from Proto-Germanic *þū, from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θuː/

Pronoun

þū

1. thou

   þū vēst ok þæt gø̄rir iak ok svā ― you know and so do i

Declension

Old Swedish personal pronouns

	first person	second person	reflexive	third person
				masculine	feminine	neuter
singular
nominative	iak, iæk	þū	—	han	hōn	þæt
accusative	mik, mek	þik	sik	han	hana, hōna	þæt
dative	mǣ(r), mik	þǣ(r), þik	sǣ(r), sik	hōnum, hānum	hænni	þȳ, þī
genitive	mīn	þīn	sīn	hans	hænna(r)	þæs
dual
nominative	vit	it	—	—	—	—
accusative	oker	*iker	sik	—	—	—
dative	oker	*iker	sǣr, sik	—	—	—
genitive	okar	*ikar	sīn	—	—	—
plural
nominative	vī(r)	ī(r)	—	þē(r)	þā(r)	þø̄n, þē(n)
accusative	os, ōs	iþer	sik	þā	þā(r)	þø̄n, þē(n)
dative	os, ōs	iþer	sǣr, sik	þēm, þø̄m, þom	þēm, þø̄m, þom	þēm, þø̄m, þom
genitive	vār	iþar	sīn	þēra	þēra	þēra

Descendants

• Swedish: du