Thou , v. i. To use the words thou and thee in discourse after the manner of
the Friends. [R.]
Thou , v. t. To address as thou, esp. to do so in order to treat with insolent familiarity or contempt.
If thou
thouest him some thrice, it shall not be
amiss.
Shak.
Thou (?), pron. [Sing.: nom. Thou; poss.
Thy (?) or Thine (&?;); obj. Thee (?). Pl.: nom. You (&?;);
poss. Your (?) or Yours (&?;); obj. You.]
[OE. thou,
þu, AS. ðū, ðu;
akin to OS. &
OFries. thu, G., Dan. & Sw.
du, Icel. þū, Goth. þu, Russ. tui, Ir. & Gael. tu, W. ti, L. tu, Gr. sy`, Dor.
ty`, Skr. tvam. √185. Cf. Thee, Thine, Te
Deum.] The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn
or poetical style.
Art thou
he that should come?
Matt. xi. 3. &fist; "In Old English, generally, thou is the
language of a lord to a servant, of
an equal to
an equal, and expresses also companionship, love, permission, defiance, scorn, threatening: whilst ye is the language of a
servant to a lord, and of compliment, and further expresses honor, submission, or entreaty." Skeat.
&fist; Thou is now sometimes used by the Friends, or Quakers, in familiar discourse, though most of them
corruptly say thee instead of thou.
Hear it pronounced