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Dictionary Results For "they" [?]/[OPML]
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English

{{rank|all|him|she|33|they|my|were|are}}

Etymology

, borrowed from —nominative plural masculine of the demonstrative, which acted in Old Norse as a plural pronoun—from {{proto|Germanic|thai|those}}, from {{proto|Indo-European|to-|that}}.

Cognate to {{term|þa|þā|sc=Latinx|lang=ang}}, and Swedish/Danish/Norwegian {{term|de||they}}.

Pronunciation


Pronoun

{{en-pron|desc=personal pronoun; the third person, nominative case, usually plural, but sometimes used in the singular when the gender is unknown or irrelevant|objective case|them|possessive|their|possessive noun|theirs|reflexive plural|themselves|reflexive singular|themself}}

  1. In the Context of A group of others previously mentioned.
  2. : Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
  3. In the Context of A single person, previously mentioned, but of unknown or irrelevant gender.
  4. : Have you ever seen someone while they are on their deathbed?
  5. In the Context of People; some people; someone.
  6. : They say it’s a good place to live.
  7. : They didn’t have computers in the old days.
  8. : They should do something about this.


Usage notes

  • For centuries, they has been used with a singular antecedent; however, many condemn this usage for its violation of traditional agreement rules. Writers should only use this construction if they are sure it will be viewed as an intentional choice, rather than an error. See w:Singular_they|singular they for a more in-depth discussion.
  • When the sex of the person referred to is known or clear, as there is no need to use they, it is preferable to use gender-specific pronouns instead. For example:
  • : The doctor's advice to a pregnant woman is that she should take folic acid during her pregnancy.

: which is preferable to :: The doctor's advice to a pregnant woman is that they should take folic acid during their pregnancy.

  • Another indefinite pronoun is one, but the two words do not mean the same and are rarely interchangeable.


Translations

Category:100 English basic words Category:English third person pronouns

de:they et:they es:they fa:they fr:they ko:they io:they it:they kk:they ku:they lo:they la:they hu:they nl:they ja:they no:they pl:they pt:they ru:they simple:they fi:they sv:they ta:they te:they vi:they tr:they uk:they zh:they

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English She \She\, pron. [sing. nom. She; poss. Her. or Hers; obj.
Her; pl. nom. They; poss. Theiror Theirs; obj.
Them.] [OE. she, sche, scheo, scho, AS. se['o], fem. of the
definite article, originally a demonstrative pronoun; cf. OS.
siu, D. zij, G. sie, OHG. siu, s[imac], si, Icel. s[=u],
sj[=a], Goth. si she, s[=o], fem. article, Russ. siia, fem.,
this, Gr. ?, fem. article, Skr. s[=a], sy[=a]. The possessive
her or hers, and the objective her, are from a different
root. See Her.]
1. This or that female; the woman understood or referred to;
the animal of the female sex, or object personified as
feminine, which was spoken of.
[1913 Webster]

She loved her children best in every wise.
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]

Then Sarah denied, . . . for she was afraid. --Gen.
xviii. 15.
[1913 Webster]

2. A woman; a female; -- used substantively. [R.]
[1913 Webster]

Lady, you are the cruelest she alive. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

Note: She is used in composition with nouns of common gender,
for female, to denote an animal of the female sex; as,
a she-bear; a she-cat.
[1913 Webster]
GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English They \They\ ([th][=a]), pron. pl.; poss. Theirs; obj. Them.
[Icel. [thorn]eir they, properly nom. pl. masc. of s[=a],
s[=u], [thorn]at, a demonstrative pronoun, akin to the
English definite article, AS. s[=e], se['o], [eth]aet, nom.
pl. [eth][=a]. See That.]
The plural of he, she, or it. They is never used adjectively,
but always as a pronoun proper, and sometimes refers to
persons without an antecedent expressed.
[1913 Webster]

Jolif and glad they went unto here [their] rest
And casten hem [them] full early for to sail.
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]

They of Italy salute you. --Heb. xiii.
24.
[1913 Webster]

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness. --Matt. v. 6.
[1913 Webster]

Note: They is used indefinitely, as our ancestors used man,
and as the French use on; as, they say (French on dit),
that is, it is said by persons not specified.
[1913 Webster]
GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English He \He\ (h[=e]), pron. [nom. He; poss. His (h[i^]z); obj.
Him (h[i^]m); pl. nom. They ([th][=a]); poss. Their or
Theirs ([th][^a]rz or [th][=a]rz); obj. Them
([th][e^]m).] [AS. h[=e], masc., he['o], fem., hit, neut.;
pl. h[imac], or hie, hig; akin to OFries. hi, D. hij, OS. he,
hi, G. heute to-day, Goth. himma, dat. masc., this, hina,
accus. masc., and hita, accus. neut., and prob. to L. his
this. [root]183. Cf. It.]
1. The man or male being (or object personified to which the
masculine gender is assigned), previously designated; a
pronoun of the masculine gender, usually referring to a
specified subject already indicated.
[1913 Webster]

Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall
rule over thee. --Gen. iii.
16.
[1913 Webster]

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou
serve. --Deut. x. 20.
[1913 Webster]

2. Any one; the man or person; -- used indefinitely, and
usually followed by a relative pronoun.
[1913 Webster]

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. --Prov.
xiii. 20.
[1913 Webster]

3. Man; a male; any male person; -- in this sense used
substantively. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]

I stand to answer thee,
Or any he, the proudest of thy sort. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

Note: When a collective noun or a class is referred to, he is
of common gender. In early English, he referred to a
feminine or neuter noun, or to one in the plural, as
well as to noun in the masculine singular. In
composition, he denotes a male animal; as, a he-goat.
[1913 Webster]
Moby Dictionary
I , I myself , alter , alter ego , alterum , better self , bureaucracy ,
directorate , ego , ethical self , he , her , herself , hierarchy ,
higher echelons , higher-ups , him , himself , inner man , inner self ,
it , management , me , ministry , my humble self , myself , number one ,
officialdom , oneself , other self , ourselves , prelacy , ruling class ,
ruling classes , self , she , subconscious self , subliminal self ,
superego , the Establishment , the administration , the authorities ,
the ingroup , the interests , the people upstairs , the power elite ,
the power structure , the top , them , themselves , top brass , you ,
yours truly , yourself , yourselves


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