Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þai

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θɑi̯/

Etymology

From demonstrative root *þa- with plural suffix *-i, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tóy. Compare *twai (“two”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ with same suffix.

Determiner

*þai

1. they; those; nominative plural masculine of *sa

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *þai
  • Old English: þā
    • Middle English: tha, tho; thas, thos
      • Scots: tha, thai; thais
      • English: tho; those
  • Old Frisian: thā
    • Saterland Frisian: do
    • West Frisian: dy
  • Old Saxon: thē
    • Middle Low German: dê
      • German Low German: de
  • Old Dutch: thie
    • Middle Dutch: die
      • Dutch: die
  • Old High German: dē, dea, dia, die
    • Middle High German: dē, die
      • German: die
• Proto-Norse: *ᚦᚨᛁᛉ (*þaiʀ)
  • Old Norse: þeir, ᚦᛅᛁᛦ (þaiʀ) — early Common Nordic, ᚦᛅᛁᚱ (þair), ᚦᛂᛁᚱ (þeir) — after merger of r and ʀ, occurring by the 800s in West Norse and late 1000s in East Norse, ᚦᛂᚱ (þer), ᚦᛂᛦ (þeʀ), ᚦᛁᚱ (þir), ᚦᛁᛦ (þiʀ) — after East Norse monophthongization, starting in the mid 900s in Denmark, ᚦᛅ (þa), ᚦᛅᛁᛘ (þaim) — Common Nordic, ᚦᛂᛁᛘ (þeim) — after invention of stung runes, ᚦᛂᛘ (þem), ᚦᛁᛘ (þim) — after East Norse monophthongization, ᚦᛅᛁᚱᛅ (þaira), ᚦᛅᛁᛦᛅ (þaiʀa), ᚦᛂᛁᚱᛅ (þeira), ᚦᛂᛁᛦᛅ (þeiʀa), ᚦᛂᚱᛅ (þera), ᚦᛂᛦᛅ (þeʀa), ᚦᛁᚱᛅ (þira), ᚦᛁᛦᛅ (þiʀa)
    • Icelandic: þeir
    • Faroese: teir
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: dei
    • Jamtish: di
    • Elfdalian: dier
    • Old Swedish: þēr, the, þir, thi
      • Swedish: de, (archaic) the, dhe (dialectal) di, da
    • Old Danish: þhe, the
      • Danish: de
      • Norwegian Bokmål: de
    • Old Gutnish: þar
      • Gutnish: dair, di
    • → Middle English: thei, they
      • Scots: they
      • English: they