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Ye (pron) means an old form of "you," used for addressing more than one person. Example: “Come hither, all ye who are weary, and rest by the fire.”

pron
1
An old form of "you," used for addressing more than one person.
"Come hither, all ye who are weary, and rest by the fire."
"Ye must leave before dawn, the old captain told his crew."
"Hear ye, hear ye — the court is now in session!"
article
1
An old-fashioned way of writing "the," seen in mock-antique shop signs.
"The sign read "Ye Olde Tea Shoppe.""
"The village pub hung a wooden board reading Ye Old Fish Inn above the door."
"My cousin's gift shop uses Ye on its sign to sound medieval and charming."

How to use ye

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn archaic word meaning either "you all" or, confusingly, "the" — both uses are mostly seen in old texts or deliberately old-fashioned signage.

Common mistake

On shop signs, "Ye" in "Ye Olde Shoppe" is pronounced "the," not "yee" — it comes from a printing shorthand, not the pronoun.

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Word forms

Plural
yes
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Come hither, all _____ who are weary, and rest by the fire.

Etymology

From Old English ġē, the plural form of "you"; the "the" sense comes from an old printer's abbreviation where a special letter (thorn) was later mistaken for a Y.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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you thou you all yous youse y'all

Related words

you he one grand thousand Ms yard inch

Rhymes for ye

fye dye eye aye lye bye nye tye Rye Faye Kaye Skye
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Frequently asked questions

What does “ye” mean?
The word “ye” means an old form of "you," used for addressing more than one person. In plain terms, an archaic word meaning either "you all" or, confusingly, "the" — both uses are mostly seen in old texts or deliberately old-fashioned signage.
How do you pronounce “ye”?
“Ye” is pronounced yee (/jiː/ in IPA).
How do you use “ye” in a sentence?
Here is “ye” used in a sentence: “Hear ye, hear ye — the court is now in session!”
What is another word for “ye”?
Words with a similar meaning to “ye” include y'all.
What part of speech is “ye”?
Depending on how it is used, “ye” can be a pronoun and an article.
Where does the word “ye” come from?
The word “ye” comes from Old English. From Old English ġē, the plural form of "you"; the "the" sense comes from an old printer's abbreviation where a special letter (thorn) was later mistaken for a Y.
Is “ye” a common word?
“Ye” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “ye” have?
“Ye” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an old form of "you," used for addressing more than one person.
Is the 'ye' in 'Ye Olde Shoppe' really pronounced like 'yee'?
No. On old-fashioned signs 'ye' is simply an old spelling of 'the,' where the 'y' stands in for an early English letter (the thorn) that was pronounced like 'th.' So 'Ye Olde' was originally read as 'the old,' not 'yee old.'
What is the difference between 'ye' meaning 'you' and 'ye' meaning 'the'?
They are two separate words that happen to share a spelling. As a pronoun, 'ye' is an archaic form of 'you' used to address more than one person; as an article, 'ye' is just an old written form of 'the.'
Is 'ye' singular or plural when it means 'you'?
As an old pronoun, 'ye' addresses more than one person, so it is plural, similar in sense to 'you all' or 'all of you.'
When is 'ye' still used today?
The pronoun 'ye' is archaic and now appears mainly in older texts, hymns, and deliberately old-fashioned or poetic language. The article 'ye' survives mostly in mock-antique shop names such as 'Ye Olde Tea Shoppe.'

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