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they

pron
/ˈðeɪ̯/US/ˈðæ̝ɪ̯/

Etymology

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.

  1. derived from *só✻
  2. derived from *þai✻ — “those”
  3. derived from þeir
  4. inherited from þei

Definitions

  1. A group of entities previously mentioned.

    • Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
    • Dogs may bark if they want to be fed.
    • Plants wilt if they are not watered.

  2. A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since…

    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 20th c.) non-binary.

    • Somebody requested a seat at Friday's performance but didn't say if they preferred the balcony or the floor.
    • Who says they care? —He himself does.
    • If someone enters the restricted area, they are required to present identification.

  3. People

    People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.

    • They say it’s a good place to live.
    • They didn’t have computers in the old days.
    • They don't make 'em like they used to.
  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. The authorities, the (power) elites, the powers that be, the establishment, the man, the…

      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.
      • They should increase our wages.
      • Ha, you believe the moon is real? That's just what they want you to think.

    2. The opponents of the side which is keeping score.

    3. The, those.

      • They rooks as you see … only coom a few year agoo.
      • Darn'd if they Cockney Chaps can zee there worn't nort but lie in him.
      • page 21: "But you spile [spoil] they gals - they won't be for no good, they won't." page 30: "'Twas all about they rewks [rooks]," he sobbed. page 54: "mucking the place up with they weeds"

    4. 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[.]"
      • It's a shame to see someone talk so bad about the gays and lesbians in prison. She is brainwash to the fact that she think every gay and lesbian in prison is guilty of they crimes.
      • But all they kids be listenin' to me religiously / So I'm signin' CDs while police fingerprint me

    5. To refer to (someone, sometimes especially someone who does not use gender-neutral…

      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.

    6. There (especially as an expletive subject of be).

      • They’s music in the twitter of the bluebird and the jay.
      • 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[.]"
      • They ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

    7. Honorific alternative letter-case form of of they, sometimes used when referring to gods…

      Honorific alternative letter-case form of of they, sometimes used when referring to gods or other important figures who are understood from context.

      • 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.
      • God is used as the mouthpiece of the parent. You come to feel that you can never be good enough or perfect enough in their eyes or in God’s. Even when you start to think for yourself, you have the dim fear that They (capital T) are right.

The neighborhood

Derived

as they come, as they say, generic they, if pigs had wings, they would fly, let the chips fall where they may, let the dice fall where they may, that's why they play the game, they don't make them like that anymore, theyfriend, they hate us 'cause they ain't us, they hit the Pentagon, they say, they-uns, will-they-won't-they

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for they. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA