"'em" meaning in English

See 'em in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Pronoun

IPA: /əm/, [əm], [m̩], [ɪm], [ɛm] Audio: en-us-'em.ogg
enPR: əm Etymology: From earlier hem, from Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative) of hie, originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. Cognate with Dutch hun (“them”), German ihnen (“them”). Now often treated as a form of them, which however derives from Old Norse rather than Old English. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|hem}} Middle English hem, {{inh|en|ang|heom||them|pos=dative}} Old English heom (“them”, dative), {{cog|nl|hun||them}} Dutch hun (“them”), {{cog|de|ihnen||them}} German ihnen (“them”), {{cog|non|-}} Old Norse Head templates: {{head|en|pronoun|||||||||||||||||||head=}} 'em, {{en-pron}} 'em
  1. (now colloquial) Them (now only in unstressed position following a consonant). Tags: colloquial Synonyms: hem Derived forms: beat 'em up, read 'em and weep, count 'em, go get 'em, hold 'em, Texas hold 'em, howcatchem, shoot 'em up, stick 'em up, up and at 'em Related terms: 'emselves, 'er, 'im, 'um

Alternative forms

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "hem"
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      "expansion": "Middle English hem",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "heom",
        "4": "",
        "5": "them",
        "pos": "dative"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English heom (“them”, dative)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hun",
        "3": "",
        "4": "them"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hun (“them”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ihnen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "them"
      },
      "expansion": "German ihnen (“them”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From earlier hem, from Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative) of hie, originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. Cognate with Dutch hun (“them”), German ihnen (“them”).\nNow often treated as a form of them, which however derives from Old Norse rather than Old English.",
  "head_templates": [
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        "1": "en",
        "10": "",
        "11": "",
        "12": "",
        "13": "",
        "14": "",
        "15": "",
        "16": "",
        "17": "",
        "18": "",
        "19": "",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "20": "",
        "3": "",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "6": "",
        "7": "",
        "8": "",
        "9": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "'em",
      "name": "head"
    },
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "'em",
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    }
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "pron",
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        },
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      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "beat 'em up"
        },
        {
          "word": "read 'em and weep"
        },
        {
          "word": "count 'em"
        },
        {
          "word": "go get 'em"
        },
        {
          "word": "hold 'em"
        },
        {
          "word": "Texas hold 'em"
        },
        {
          "word": "howcatchem"
        },
        {
          "word": "shoot 'em up"
        },
        {
          "word": "stick 'em up"
        },
        {
          "word": "up and at 'em"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v], page 264, column 1:",
          "text": "Some are become great, ſome atcheeues greatneſſe, and ſome haue greatneſſe thruſt vppon em.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1685, Pierre Duval, “Aſia”, in Ferrand Spence, transl., Geographia Universalis: The Present State Of the Whole World, →OCLC, pages 158–159:",
          "text": "All China is divided into ſixteen Provinces, each of which are worth more than large Kingdoms. Ten of ’em lye towards the South; Yunnan, Quanſi, Canton, Fuquiem, Chequiam, Nanxin, Kiamſi, Huquam, Suſcuem and Quicheu. The ſix towards the North are Xenſi, Scianſi, Honan, Xantung, Pekin and Leaorung, which ſeveral have called Cathai, whereas they give the name of Mangi to the Southern Provinces.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1699, Robert Barret, A Companion for Midwives, Child-Bearing Women, and Nurses., London, Preface:",
          "text": "We cannot reasonably ſuppoſe that Adam, who was ſo univerſally Skill'd in the Natures of all Plants, ſhould have been ignorant of their Vulnerary Qualities: Or that he would not employ this his Skill in endeavouring to cure Wounds, or Hurts, when any of his new-planted Stock had the Misfortune te receive 'em.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 6:",
          "text": "Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester, same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting ’em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Chora's Den, Citadel:",
          "text": "Harkin: I spent twenty years working cases here on the Citadel. People on this station love to talk. Secrets are like herpes. If you got 'em, you might as well spread 'em around.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010 December 3, John Baron, The Guardian:",
          "text": "We've literally had dozens of your photographs submitted this week – keep ’em coming!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Them (now only in unstressed position following a consonant)."
      ],
      "id": "en-'em-en-pron-WZxKWLMH",
      "links": [
        [
          "Them",
          "them"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(now colloquial) Them (now only in unstressed position following a consonant)."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "'emselves"
        },
        {
          "word": "'er"
        },
        {
          "word": "'im"
        },
        {
          "word": "'um"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "hem"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "əm"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əm/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[əm]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[m̩]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ɪm]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ɛm]"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-'em.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/94/En-us-%27em.ogg/En-us-%27em.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/En-us-%27em.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "'em"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "beat 'em up"
    },
    {
      "word": "read 'em and weep"
    },
    {
      "word": "count 'em"
    },
    {
      "word": "go get 'em"
    },
    {
      "word": "hold 'em"
    },
    {
      "word": "Texas hold 'em"
    },
    {
      "word": "howcatchem"
    },
    {
      "word": "shoot 'em up"
    },
    {
      "word": "stick 'em up"
    },
    {
      "word": "up and at 'em"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "hem"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English hem",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "heom",
        "4": "",
        "5": "them",
        "pos": "dative"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English heom (“them”, dative)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hun",
        "3": "",
        "4": "them"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hun (“them”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ihnen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "them"
      },
      "expansion": "German ihnen (“them”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From earlier hem, from Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative) of hie, originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. Cognate with Dutch hun (“them”), German ihnen (“them”).\nNow often treated as a form of them, which however derives from Old Norse rather than Old English.",
  "head_templates": [
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        "10": "",
        "11": "",
        "12": "",
        "13": "",
        "14": "",
        "15": "",
        "16": "",
        "17": "",
        "18": "",
        "19": "",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "20": "",
        "3": "",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "6": "",
        "7": "",
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        "9": "",
        "head": ""
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      "expansion": "'em",
      "name": "head"
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    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "'em",
      "name": "en-pron"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "pron",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "'emselves"
    },
    {
      "word": "'er"
    },
    {
      "word": "'im"
    },
    {
      "word": "'um"
    }
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  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        "English aphetic forms",
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English plural pronouns",
        "English pronouns",
        "English terms derived from Middle English",
        "English terms derived from Old English",
        "English terms inherited from Middle English",
        "English terms inherited from Old English",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English third person pronouns",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
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        {
          "ref": "c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v], page 264, column 1:",
          "text": "Some are become great, ſome atcheeues greatneſſe, and ſome haue greatneſſe thruſt vppon em.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1685, Pierre Duval, “Aſia”, in Ferrand Spence, transl., Geographia Universalis: The Present State Of the Whole World, →OCLC, pages 158–159:",
          "text": "All China is divided into ſixteen Provinces, each of which are worth more than large Kingdoms. Ten of ’em lye towards the South; Yunnan, Quanſi, Canton, Fuquiem, Chequiam, Nanxin, Kiamſi, Huquam, Suſcuem and Quicheu. The ſix towards the North are Xenſi, Scianſi, Honan, Xantung, Pekin and Leaorung, which ſeveral have called Cathai, whereas they give the name of Mangi to the Southern Provinces.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1699, Robert Barret, A Companion for Midwives, Child-Bearing Women, and Nurses., London, Preface:",
          "text": "We cannot reasonably ſuppoſe that Adam, who was ſo univerſally Skill'd in the Natures of all Plants, ſhould have been ignorant of their Vulnerary Qualities: Or that he would not employ this his Skill in endeavouring to cure Wounds, or Hurts, when any of his new-planted Stock had the Misfortune te receive 'em.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 6:",
          "text": "Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester, same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting ’em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Chora's Den, Citadel:",
          "text": "Harkin: I spent twenty years working cases here on the Citadel. People on this station love to talk. Secrets are like herpes. If you got 'em, you might as well spread 'em around.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010 December 3, John Baron, The Guardian:",
          "text": "We've literally had dozens of your photographs submitted this week – keep ’em coming!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Them (now only in unstressed position following a consonant)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Them",
          "them"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(now colloquial) Them (now only in unstressed position following a consonant)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "əm"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əm/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[əm]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[m̩]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ɪm]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ɛm]"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-'em.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/94/En-us-%27em.ogg/En-us-%27em.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/En-us-%27em.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "hem"
    }
  ],
  "word": "'em"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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