They
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
they¹
- /ˈðeɪ̯/ US, UK
- [ˈðæ̝ɪ̯] Australia
- /ðə/ Northumbria, unstressed
Sounds like day (th-stopping), the (Northumbria) · Rhymes with -eɪ
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *tóy
Proto-Germanic *þai
Proto-Norse *ᚦᚨᛁᛉ (*þaiʀ)
Old Norse þeirbor.
Middle English þei
English they
From Middle English þei, borrowed in the 1200s from Old Norse þeir, plural of the demonstrative sá which acted as a plural pronoun. Displaced native Middle English he from Old English hīe — which vowel changes had left indistinct from he (“he”) — by the 1400s, being readily incorporated alongside native words beginning with the same sound (the, that, this). Used as a singular pronoun since 1300, e.g. in the 1325 Cursor Mundi.
The Norse term (whence also Icelandic þeir (“they”), Faroese teir (“they”), Danish de (“they”), Swedish de (“they”), Norwegian Nynorsk dei (“they”)) is from Proto-Germanic *þai (“those”) (from Proto-Indo-European *to- (“that”)), whence also Old English þā (“those”) (whence obsolete English tho), Scots thae, thai, thay (“they; those”), Swabian dia (“they”).
The origin of the determiner they (“the, those”) is unclear. The OED, English Dialect Dictionary and Middle English Dictionary define it and its Middle English predecessor thei as a demonstrative determiner or adjective meaning “those” or “the”. This could be a continuation of the use of the English pronoun they's Old Norse etymon þeir as a demonstrative meaning “those”, but the OED and EDD say it is limited to southern, especially southwestern, England, specifically outside the region of Norse contact.
pronoun them · their · theirs · themselves · themself · They
- A group of entities previously mentioned. Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
- One whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or both. Somebody requested a seat at Friday's performance but didn't say if they preferred the balcony or the floor. [The gender is unknown and irrelevant.]
- One who is nonbinary. There is no need to panic. Robin should be here soon and they will know what to do. [Robin is nonbinary and uses singular they.]
- People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker. They say it’s a good place to live.
- The authorities, the (power) elites, the powers that be, the establishment, the man, the system: government, police, employers, etc. They'll tax us for the air we breathe next.
- The opponents of the side which is keeping score.
determiner the · thay · thaay
- The, those. They rooks as you see … only coom a few year agoo.
- Their. MARY ELLEN is a different case from the others. She has five children and, she claims: "I don't know who they father is. I ain't never kept track. They is always another one. You know, I can catch me a guy[.]"
verb theys · theying · theyed
- To refer to (someone, sometimes especially someone who does not use gender-neutral pronouns) using they/them pronouns. I have a pin that says she/her, but I still get theyed all the time.
noun theys
- A non-binary person.
they²
- /ˈðeɪ̯/ US, UK
- [ˈðæ̝ɪ̯] Australia
- /ðə/ Northumbria, unstressed
Sounds like day (th-stopping), the (Northumbria) · Rhymes with -eɪ
Where it comes from
From earlier the'e, from there.
pronoun
- There (especially as an expletive subject of be). They’s music in the twitter of the bluebird and the jay.
They³
pronoun
- Honorific alternative letter-case form of of they, sometimes used when referring to gods or other important figures who are understood from context.of they Then raising Their hands, each god according to his sign, They made the worlds and the suns, and put a light in the houses of the sky.
