ye

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ye" and үе

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English ye, ȝe, from Old English ġē (“ye”), the nominative case of the second-person plural personal pronoun, from Proto-West Germanic *jiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *jīz, a North-West variant of Proto-Germanic *jūz (“ye”), from Proto-Indo-European *yūs, *yū́ (“ye”), plural of *túh₂. Cognate with Scots ye (“ye”), Saterland Frisian jie, Dutch gij, jij, je (“ye”), Low German ji, jie (“ye”), German ihr (“ye”), Danish and Swedish I (“ye”), Icelandic ér (“ye”). See also you.

Pronunciation

(UK, US) enPR: yē, IPA^(key): /jiː/, [ʝɪi], [ʒɪi]
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -iː

Pronoun

ye (personal pronoun)

(archaic outside Northern England, Cornwall, Ireland, Newfoundland) You (the people being addressed).
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, OCLC 932900760, stanza 17, page 512:
  My liefe (ſayd ſhe) ye know, that long ygo, / Whileſt ye in durance dwelt, ye to me gaue / A little mayde, the which ye chylded tho ; / The ſame againe if now ye liſt to haue, / The ſame is yonder Lady, whom high God did ſaue.
- 1671, Elisha Coles, chapter 6, in ΧΡΙΣΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ: Or, a Metrical Paraphraſe on the Hiſtory of Our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt : Dedicated to His Univerſal Church‎:
  Queſtion me then no more; whate'er ye want, / Ask in my Name, and God ſhall ſurely grant. / You've asked nothing yet for Jesus sake : / Ask and receive, and of my joyes partake.
- 1995, Elizabeth II, “Legal Notice 247 of 1996”, in Hong Kong Government Gazette‎, page B1096:
  Know Ye that We have declared and by these Presents do declare our Will and Pleasure as follows— […]
(archaic) You (the singular person being addressed).
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick‎, chapter 23:
  Know ye now, Bulkington? Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth; that all deep, earnest thinking is but the intrepid effort of the soul to keep the open independence of her sea; [...]

Usage notes

Ye was originally used only for the nominative case (as the subject), and only for the second-person plural. Later, ye was used as a subject or an object, either singular or plural, which is the way that you is used today. In modern Hiberno-English usage, ye is used as a subject or an object in the plural, to contrast with you (singular).

Synonyms

(second-person plural): See Thesaurus:y'all

Derived terms

d'ye
hear ye
ye'd
ye gods
ye'll
ye're
y'ere
yere
yeres
ye've

References

Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin,

Etymology 2

From Middle English þe. Early press typographies lacked the letter þ (“thorn”), for which the letter y was substituted due to their resemblance in blackletter hand (etymological y was for a while distinguished by a dot, ẏ). Short form yͤ continued long after the digraph th had replaced þ elsewhere.

Alternative forms

y^e, yͤ

Pronunciation

Traditionally pronounced the same as the, but now often pronounced with the ordinary sound of ⟨y⟩: IPA^(key): /jiː/

Article

ye

(archaic, definite) The.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 1 Timothy 1:17, column 2:
  Now vnto yͤ king eternal, immortall, inuiſible, the onely wiſe God, be honour and glory for euer ⁊ euer. Amen.
- 1647, The old deluder, Satan, Act. (cited in American Public School Law, K. Alexander, M. Alexander, 1995)
  It being one cheife proiect of y^e ould deluder, Satan, to keepe men from the knowledge of Scriptures, as in form^r times by keeping y^m in an unknowne tongue, so in these latt^r times by perswading from y^e use of tongues, y^t so at least y^e true sence & meaning of y^e originall might be clouded by false glosses of saint seeming deceivers, y^t learning may not be buried in y^e church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting o^r endeavo^rs,—
Ye Olde Medicine Shoppe (pseudoarchaic)

Derived terms

ye olde

Etymology 3

Shortened from yes or yeah.

Interjection

ye

(slang) Yes, yeah.

Etymology 4

From Russian е (je).

Noun

ye (plural yes)

The Cyrillic letter Е, е, featured in various Slavic and Turkic languages.

Translations

Е

Russian: е (ru) n (je)

Anagrams

-ey, ey

Asturian

Alternative forms

yía

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈʝe/, [ˈɟ͡ʝe]

Verb

ye

third-person singular present indicative of ser

Azerbaijani

Verb

ye

second-person singular imperative positive degree of yemək

Bambara

Postposition

ye

at, towards
for
N ye nin kɛ Madu ye
I did this for Madou
with
N bɛ n ko ni safunɛ ye
I wash myself with soap

Verb

ye (auxiliary)

(verbal auxiliary for transitive verbs) marks an action which is accomplished
Ne ye moto san
I bought a motorbike

Verb

ye

(transitive) to see
Ne m'a ye fɔlɔ
I haven't seen him yet

Derived terms

yebali
yecogo
yeli
yeta

Catawba

Noun

ye

man (adult male human), men
person, people
Native American Indian(s)

Usage notes

Catawba nouns do not inflect for number.
Many of Catawba's names for tribes incorporate this word, e.g. yę iswa (“the Catawba”, literally “people of the river”), yę manterą (“the Cherokee”, literally “people born in/on the land”).
The vowel of this word is generally nasalized; this is reflected in different ways or not at all in different transcriptions: ye, yę, yeⁿ. Sometimes, an initial i, also nasalized, is found: iⁿyeⁿ / įyę.

References

1858, Oscar M. Lieber, Vocabulary of the Catawba Language
1900, Albert S. Gatschet, Grammatic Sketch of the Catawba Language (published in the American Anthropologist)
1942, Frank G. Speck and C. E. Shaeffer, Catawba Kinship and Social Organization
1945, Frank T. Siebert, Jr., Linguistic Classification of Catawba (published in the International Journal of American Linguistics)

Fula

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Particle

ye

so, therefore
truly
not at all

References

Oumar Bah, Dictionnaire Pular-Français, Avec un index français-pular, Webonary.org, SIL International, 2014.

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French est (“is”), third person singular of the indicative present of être (“to be”).

Verb

ye

Form of se used at the end of a phrase, after the predicate and the subject, in that order; to be.
Kimoun ou ye? (“Who are you?”, literally “Who you are?”)

Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto je.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /je/, /jɛ/

Preposition

ye

to, at, by (preposition used when no other fits the meaning)
Lu kaptis la kavalo per lazo ye la kolo.
He/she captured the horse by a lasso to the neck.
Ye la angulo di la strado.
At the corner of the street.
Ilu prenis elu ye la tayo.
He took her by the waist.

Noun

ye (plural ye-i)

The name of the Latin script letter Y/y.

Japanese

Romanization

ye

Rōmaji transcription of いぇ
Rōmaji transcription of イェ
(obsolete) Rōmaji transcription of 𛀁
(obsolete) Rōmaji transcription of エ
(obsolete) Rōmaji transcription of 𛄡

Mandarin

Romanization

ye

Nonstandard spelling of yē.
Nonstandard spelling of yé.
Nonstandard spelling of yě.
Nonstandard spelling of yè.

Usage notes

English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Maquiritari

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɟe]

Noun

ye

(Ye'kwana dialect) Alternative form of iye (“wood, tree”)

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English ġē, from Proto-West Germanic *jiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *jūz, from Proto-Indo-European *yū́ (with the nominative ending added). Compare the second-person dual pronoun ȝit.

Alternative forms

yee, ȝe, ȝee, yeȝ, yhe, ȝhe, ge, iye, yie, ȝie, gie, hye, hie, ȝeo, geo

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jeː/
Rhymes: -eː

Pronoun

ye (accusative yow, genitive youres, youren, possessive determiner your)

Second-person plural pronoun: ye, you (plural).
- c. 1225, “Introduction”, in Ancrene Ƿiſſe (MS. Corpus Christi 402)‎, Herefordshire, published c. 1235, folio 1, verso; republished at Cambridge: Parker Library on the Web, January 2018:
  Ant ȝe mine leoue ſuſtren habbeð moni dei icrauet on me efter riƿle
  And you, my beloved sisters, have asked me for a rule many times.
- c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎, published c. 1410, Matheu 16:15, page 9r, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
  iheſus ſeide to hem / but whom ſeyn ȝe me to be .·?
  Jesus said to them, "But who do you say I am?"
(formal) second-person singular pronoun: you (singular).
- a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “Book II”, in Troilus and Criseyde, line 22-28:
  Ȝe knowe ek that in fourme of ſpeche is chaunge / With-inne a thousand ȝeer, and wordes tho /That hadden pris now wonder nyce and ſtraunge /Us thenketh hem, and ȝet thei ſpake hem so / And ſpedde as wel in loue as men now do / Ek forto wynnen loue in ſondry ages / In ſondry londes, ſondry ben vſages […]
  You also know that the form of language is in flux; / within a thousand years, words / that had currency; really weird and bizarre / they seem to us now, but they still spoke them / and accomplished as much in love as men do now. / As for winning love across ages and / across nations, there are lots of usages […]

Usage notes

The formal singular usage, following the T-V distinction, was used to address one's superiors, elders or others to whom one might wish to show politeness or respect.

Descendants

English: ye, yee
Scots: ȝe, ye
Yola: ye

Verb

ye (present participle yeyn)

Address a single person by the use of the pronoun ye instead of thou.
- 1511, Promptorium Parvulorum (de Worde), sig. M.iiiᵛ/2
  Yeyn or sey ye with worshyp, viso.

References

“yẹ̄, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 16 May 2018.

Etymology 2

From Old English gēa, from Proto-West Germanic *jā, from Proto-Germanic *ja.

Alternative forms

yie

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jɛː/

Adverb

ye

yes, yea

Descendants

English: yea
Yola: yee, yea

References

“yē, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Noun

yë (plural yën)

Alternative form of eie
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Prologues”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868, lines 9–10:
  And smale foweles maken melodye, / That slepen al the nyght with open yë.
  (please add an English translation of this quote)

Etymology 4

Article

ye

(chiefly Northern) Alternative form of þe (“the”)

Pronoun

ye

(chiefly Northern) Alternative form of þe (“thee”)

Norn

Etymology

From Old Norse eigi.

Adverb

ye

(Orkney) not

Pali

Alternative forms

𑀬𑁂 (Brahmi script)
ये (Devanagari script)
যে (Bengali script)
යෙ (Sinhalese script)
ယေ (Burmese script)
เย (Thai script)
ᨿᩮ (Tai Tham script)
ເຍ or ເຢ (Lao script)
យេ (Khmer script)
𑄠𑄬 (Chakma script)

Pronoun

ye

masculine nominative/accusative plural of ya (“who (relative)”)

Scots

Alternative forms

you

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jiː/, /jɪ/

Pronoun

ye (second person, singular or plural; possessive determiner yer, possessive pronoun yers, singular reflexive yersel, plural reflexive yersel)

you

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈʝe/ [ˈɟ͡ʝe]
IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /ˈʃe/ [ˈʃe]
IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈʒe/ [ˈʒe]

Rhymes: -e
Syllabification: ye

Noun

ye f (plural yes)

The name of the Latin-script letter Y.
Synonym: i griega

Usage notes

"Ye" was recommended by the Real Academia Española as a simpler name for the more common i griega (literally “Greek i”). Adoption of it has been slow.

Turkish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /je/

Noun

ye

The name of the Latin-script letter Y.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Persian ‎ (ye).

Noun

ye

Last letter of the Arabic alphabet: ي

- Previous: و‎

Verb

ye

second-person singular imperative of yemek

Uzbek

Verb

ye

imperative of yemoq

Volapük

Conjunction

ye

however

Yola

Contraction

ye

Alternative form of yie (“to give”)

Etymology 2

From Middle English ye, from Old English ġē, from Proto-West Germanic *jiʀ.

Pronoun

ye

you
- 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1:
  Ye be welcome, hearthilee welcome, mee joees,
  You are welcome, heartily welcome, my joys,

Derived terms

y'art
y'ast
y'at

Article

ye

Alternative form of a (“the”)
- 1867, “Prologue”, in CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:
  Ye soumissive Spakeen o'ouz Dwelleres o' Baronie Forthe, Weisforthe.
  The humble Address of the Inhabitants of the Barony of Forth, Wexford.

Determiner

ye

Alternative form of yer (“your”)
- 1927, “ZONG OF TWI MAARKEET MOANS”, in THE ANCIENT DIALECT OF THE BARONIES OF FORTH AND BARGY, COUNTY WEXFORD, line 14:
  Thou liest valse co secun that thou an ye thick
  You lie false, said the second, that you and your kid,

References

Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 80, 94 & 114
Kathleen A. Browne (1927) The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Sixth Series, Vol.17 No.2, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, page 129

Yoruba

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jè/

Noun

yè

(Idanre, Ondo) mother
Synonyms: ìyá, màmá, mọ́mì, yèyé, iye, èyé, ùyá, abiyamọ
(Idanre, Ondo) a term of endearment or respect for an older woman or female relative
Synonyms: mà, àǹtí, ìyá, màmá, mọ́mì, yèyé, iye, èyé
A jọ̀ọ́, yè i ― Please, auntie

Usage notes

(term of endearment): usually used with mi (“third-person singular possessive pronoun”).
(both senses): follow greetings and pleasantries.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jé/

Verb

yé

(transitive) to understand
Ṣó yé yín? ― Do you understand?
Kò yé mi ― I don't understand

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jé/

Verb

yé

to stop; to cease
Yé ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀! ― Stop doing that!

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jè/

Verb

yè

(intransitive) to survive
Ògún yè, mo yè ― Ogun survives, I survive

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jé/

Verb

yé

(transitive) to lay (eggs)
Adìẹ mi ti yé ẹyin ― My hen's laid eggs

Zulu

Pronoun

-ye

Combining stem of yena.