Re: You/thou (was Re: Old Norse)

On Sat, 17 Jun 2000 15:27:13 -0700  Marcus Smith <smithma@...> wrote:
> Nik Taylor wrote:
> >
> >Are you sure it was that late in time?  I thought it was earlier in the
> >Middle English period.
 Certainly it wasn't in the ME time. The use of THOU was common throughtout all
the last century, and so, recent.

  So the ordinary way of speaking is to use "you" but
> "thou" still exists as a less polite (perhaps even derogatory) form.
 Yes, indeed. In English "YOU" is assumed as respectful and polite as well as
possible to addressing towards a known friend.
 THOU has equivalents in all IE langs; like Port "tu" and Germ "du" and is
addressed to a person we know very well, such as a brother, mate, cousin.
Besides the Bible, THOU was used very much in the last century in Britain. I
have some books writen with the form THOU.
THOU, as far as I know, is not used at derogatoring.
That's why we say THOU towards God. He is a "close friend" never YOU.

                                      briefly,
                                                 chiph

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles THOU art in the way with him."

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