everybody

Selwyn, sitting up rumpled and cross-legged on the floor, after having boloed Drina to everybody's exquisite satisfaction, looked around at the sudden rustle of skirts to catch a glimpse of a vanishing figure—a glimmer of ruddy hair and the white curve of a youthful face, half-buried in a muff.

1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:


whatever

From Middle English whatever. By surface analysis, what + ever.

Whatever do you mean?

Whatever happened to Leon Trotsky?
He got an ice pick
That made his ears burn

1977, Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Jet Black (lyrics and music), “No More Heroes”, in No More Heroes, performed by The Stranglers:

(interrogative) What ever; emphasised form of 'what', used to ask which thing, event, circumstance, etc.

Whatever he does, he will still lose the game.

Whatever happens, stay calm.

Do whatever works.

I’ll do whatever I can.

And ſpight of Pride, and in thy Reaſon's ſpight, / One truth is clear; "Whatever Is, is Right."

1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle I, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC, page 16, lines 280–281:

The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.

2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:

(fused relative) Anything that; all that.

I don't need any of this stuff, so take whatever.

There's a pile of stuff on that table; clippings, pamphlets, posters, whatever, that needs to be sorted and filed.

2021, Michael Kurland, Whatever the Cost:

(informal) Anything; thing(s) of unspecified kind, or no matter what kind; sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not care about options.


dat

Pronuctiation spelling of that,
representing dialects with th-stopping. Compare Dutch dat, Low German dat, and German dat.

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(dialectal, nonstandard, African-American Vernacular, MLE, Ireland, foreign accents, or humorous) Pronunciation spelling of that.

African-American Vernacular; foreign accents; African-American Vernacular; foreign accents


few

From Middle English fewe, from Old English fēaw (“few”), from Proto-West Germanic *fau, from Proto-Germanic *fawaz (“few”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”).
Cognate with Old Saxon fā (“few”), Old High German fao, fō (“few, little”), Old Norse fár (“few”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃 (faus, “few”). Also related with Latin paucus (“little, few”) and pauper (“poor”), from which latter English poor and pauper; see these.

der

Many are called, but few are chosen.


the

Feſtus ſayde with a lowde voyce: Paul / thou arte beſides thy ſilfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Actes off the Apostles xxvj:[24], folio cxcv, recto:


most

From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).

Most want the best for their children.

The peach was juicier and more flavourful than most.

The greater part of a group, especially a group of people.


thou

head

thou (plural ye, objective case thee, reflexive thyself, possessive determiner thy or thine, possessive pronoun thine)

ye (plural)
thee (objective)
thyself (reflexive)
thy (determiner possessive)
thine (determiner possessive)
thine (possessive pronoun without-noun)

From Middle English thou, tho, thogh, thoue, thouȝ, thow, thowe, tou, towe, thu, thue, thugh, tu, you (Northern England), ðhu, þeou, þeu, þou (the latter three early Southwest England), from Old English þū, from Proto-West Germanic *þū, from Proto-Germanic *þū (“you (singular), thou”), from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂ (“you, thou”).
cognates and usage evolution
The English word is cognate with Saterland Frisian du (“thou”), West Frisian do (“thou”), dialectal Dutch du, dou, douw (“thou”), Limburgish doe (“thou”), Low German du (“thou”), German du (“thou”), Danish du (“thou”), Swedish du (“thou”), Faroese tú (“thou”), Icelandic þú (“thou”), Gothic 𐌸𐌿 (þu, “thou”), Latin tu, Ancient Greek σύ (sú) (Doric Ancient Greek τύ (tú), Greek εσύ (esý)), Irish tu, Lithuanian tu, Old Church Slavonic тꙑ (ty), Welsh ti, Armenian դու (du), Albanian ti, Persian تو (to).
The informality of thou and its replacement by ye in formal situations date only to the 14th century and come from French influence, since French (as many European languages, but not Old English) uses the second-person plural (vous) instead of the second-person singular (tu) as a mark of politeness or respect.

inh

[...] Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee light.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 5:14:

Art thou in earnest about thy soul? and canst thou tell the Searcher of Hearts, Thou, O God, art the thing that I long for? Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I would love thee?

1742 April 4, Charles Wesley, A Sermon Preached on Sunday, April 4, 1742. Before the University of Oxford, London: Printed by J. Paramore, […], published 1783, →OCLC, page 10:

Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion!

1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 137:

(archaic, dialectal, literary, religion, or humorous) Nominative singular of ye (“you”).


yourself

head

yourself (referring to the person being spoken to, previously mentioned, the reflexive case of you)

en-pron

From Middle English yourself, equivalent to your + -self.

check yourself before you wreck yourself

Be careful with that fire or you'll burn yourself.

(reflexive pronoun) Your own self (singular).

You yourself know that what you wrote was wrong.

After a good night's sleep you'll feel like yourself again.

You (singular); used emphatically, especially to indicate exclusiveness of the referent's participation in the predicate, i.e., that no one else is involved.

I spoke with yourself last in February.

(formal, proscribed) You (singular); in other contexts, a hypercorrection perceived as being more polite in formal and professional conversation..


is

(Geordie) Alternative spelling of us (“me”).


yours

From Middle English youres, ȝoures, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to your + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced yourn in standard speech.

yourn

obsolete outside Britain and US dialects

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

If this edit is mine, the other must be yours.

Their encyclopedia is good, but yours is even better.

Are all these socks yours?

The socks of yours are a bit niffy. (double possessive)

“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.[…]”

1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

That or those belonging to you; the possessive second-person singular pronoun used without a following noun.

của bạn (replace bạn with the appropriate word or kinship term: ông, bà, anh, cô, chị, mày, em)

của các bạn (replace bạn with the appropriate word or kinship term: các ông, các bà, các anh, các cô, các chị, chúng mày, các em)

Let's go over to yours.

Yours sincerely,  Yours faithfully,  Yours,  Sincerely yours,

Written at the end of a letter, before the signature.


thee

head

thee (second-person singular, objective case, nominative thou, reflexive thyself)

From Middle English þe, from Old English þē (“thee”, originally dative, but later also accusative), from Proto-Germanic *þiz (“thee”), from Proto-Indo-European *te (“second-person singular pronoun”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“thee”), West Frisian dy (“thee”), German Low German di (“thee”), German dir (“thee”, dative pron.), Icelandic þér (“thee”). More at thou.

inh

Prince Henry: Did I ever call for thee to pay thy part?
Falstaff: No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there.

1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV part 1, act 1, scene 2, lines 49–50:

Michael, this my behest have thou in charge,
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming Warriours, least the Fiend

Come, O thou Traveller unknown, / Whom still I hold, but cannot see! / My company before is gone, / And I am left alone with Thee; / With Thee all night I mean to stay, / And wrestle till the break of day.

1742, “Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown”, Charles Wesley (music):

(now chiefly archaic, literary) Objective and reflexive case of thou.

(informal and addressing one person; used after a preposition) toi

te

informal and addressing one person; used before a verb

(informal and addressing one person; used after a preposition) te

[H]e immediately perceived when I was taken ill, and, after seeing Mama, said to me "I am afraid Thee art not well thyself?"

1773, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin 2001, page 23:

"He says he's our man, Bildad," said Peleg, "he wants to ship."
"Dost thee?" said Bildad, in a hollow tone

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ship”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 84:

"What does thee want, father?" said Rachel.

1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin:


its

Equivalent to it + -s (possessive marker). From the earlier form it's (it + -'s), which is now considered nonstandard. Began to displace his as the possessive of the neuter pronoun in the Middle English period; had fully displaced it by the 1700s.

… both Houses have resolved to rob the North of a good friend of its and yours.

1645, Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton, Letter to Ferdinando Fairfax, 6 February 1645

EBay Canada argued in court that the data sought by tax collectors was not its to give.

2007 October 1, Ian Austen, “Canadian Court Opens Up eBay Data to Tax Agency”, in New York Times:

...the Board of Trade of Chicago can at least feel that it has played its part manfully and patriotically, and that no act of its has stood in the way of National victory.

1917, Charles Henry Taylor, History of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, volume 2, page 1259:

свой

when referring to the subject of the sentence


dar

African-American Vernacular form of there


theirs

From Middle English theires, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to their + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced theirn (from Middle English theiren, formed by analogy to mine, thine) in standard speech.

This luggage is theirs. These passports are also theirs.

Theirs cost a lot more than ours.

That cat of theirs got into our garden again. (double possessive)

The letter had been given to the two Englishmen by a good friend of theirs in London, who had been in America two years previously, and had singled out Mr. J. L. Westgate from the many friends he had left there as the consignee, as it were, of his compatriots.

1878, Henry James, An International Episode:

That or those belonging to them; the possessive case of they, used without a following noun.

Let's go over to theirs.


ours

From Middle English oures, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to our + -s (compare -'s); formed by analogy to his. Displaced ourn (from Middle English ouren) in standard speech.

You can't take that! It's ours!

Could we ask you to move, please. These seats are ours.

Ours looks much nicer than theirs.

This beach is a favourite of ours. (double possessive)

That or those belonging to us; the possessive case of we, used without a following noun.

(article and possessive adjective in appropriate gender and number) ὁ ἡμέτερος (ho hēméteros)

You can stay the night at ours if you like.


en

Such a strappen fine gentleman as he was, too. Yes, I rather like en sometimes.

1895, Thomas Hardy, A Pair of Blue Eyes, page 236:

(dialectal, Newfoundland) it (when the thing being referred to is masculine)


it

head

it (subjective and objective it, reflexive and intensive itself, possessive determiner and pronoun its, plural subjective they, plural objective case them)

it (objective subjective)
itself (emphatic reflexive)
its (determiner possessive pronoun without-noun)
they (plural subjective)
them (objective plural)

Received Pronunciation, General American, GenAus

From Middle English it, hit ( > dialectal English hit (“it”)), from Old English hit (“it”), from Proto-West Germanic *hit, from Proto-Germanic *hit (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-, *ḱey- (“this, here”). Cognate with West Frisian it (“it”), Saterland Frisian et, 't (“it”), Dutch het (“it”), Low German it (“it”), German es (“it”). Compare also Gothic 𐌹𐍄𐌰 (ita, “it”), Latin cis (“on this”), hic (“this”). More at he.

αὐτό

when referring to inanimate thing or neuter noun

impersonal pronoun, used without referent

impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder

Take this book and put it on the shelf.

Take each day as it comes.

I found a poor little cat. It seems to be half starving.

It is not a pen. It is a book.
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

The Nansi District was formerly known as the "Jiaba Community", and was one of the early territories of the Taivoan, as well as where the Zou resided. Later, due to the invasion of the Siraya tribe, the community members later migrated out to regions such as Gongguan, Paoziliao (Kaohsiung County), and Daciouyuan. During the time of the Japanese occupation, because of its location at the west of the "Nanzihsian River", it was therefore renamed Nansi ("si" meaning "west"). A village and village hall were established here, under the governance of Sinhua District of Tainan Province. After the war in 1945, it was renamed Nansi Township, and was changed to Nansi District after the merging of Tainan City and County on December 25th, 2010.

2018 August 6, “Brief Introduction of Nansi”, in Nansi District Office, Tainan City, archived from the original on 2022-02-16:

The third-person singular neuter personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human living thing.

She took the baby and held it in her arms.

A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction.

1847, Charlotte Brontë, chapter IV, in Jane Eyre:

I could only encourage Mrs. Clements to speak next of Anne's early days […] "There was nobody else, sir, to take the little helpless creature in hand," replied Mrs. Clements. "The wicked mother seemed to hate it—as if the poor baby was in fault!—from the day it was born. My heart was heavy for the child, and I made the offer to bring it up as tenderly as if it was my own."
"Did Anne remain entirely under your care from that time?"
"Not quite entirely, sir. Mrs. Catherick had her whims and fancies about it at times, and used now and then to lay claim to the child, as if she wanted to spite me for bringing it up.

1859, Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White:

The sky was dripping. Like a tap that a child has tried its hardest to turn off but hasn't quite managed.

2005, Marcus Zusak, The Book Thief, part 10:

A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a baby or child, especially of unknown gender.

"[…] It's my belief that you don't know your own mind."
"I don't, dear," said Hulda, nestling to him.
"Why, what a puss it is!" cried Sir Philip, kissing her tenderly.

1890, George Manville Fenn, Black Blood:

1897, Olive Pratt Rayner (Grant Allen), The Type-Writer Girl
She caught my eye, and laughed. “What a funny girl it is!” she cried. “You are so comical! But it isn't the least use your trying to frighten me. I can see the twinkle in your big black eyes; and I like you in spite of your trying to be horrid. Do you know, I liked you from the first moment I saw you.”

WILLIAM: You don't like me better?
CLARA: Indeed I do.
WILLIAM (laughing): Well, what a dear girl it is.
CLARA (flinging her arms around his neck with suddenly disclosed passion): Oh, I do love you!

1905, The Harvard Monthly, volumes 39-40, page 183:

(obsolete) An affectionate third-person singular personal pronoun.

1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
Next morning bought her [a drag queen] breakfast & she asked for a couple dollars to get a drink. Gave her $3, walked her to a bar. […] Some teenage boys watched us walking & began shouting. When I left her at the bar door & kissed her goodbye, they began shouting "Ugh! You kissed it!!"

"Oh, don't be silly. I am neither male nor female. I'm a farfel." […] "It. Refer to me as an it."
"That seems pretty rude," I said nervously.
"Not as rude as calling me a he or a she," it said.

1993, Bruce Coville, Aliens Ate My Homework, pages 72–73:

The individual known as Maia Arson Crimew was born as Tillie Kottmann on 7 August 1999 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Kottmann/Crimew has expressed on its website a desire to be referred to by ‘it’ pronouns (Crimew 2021), so this article will interchangeably refer to it by its preferred terms as either ‘Maia Arson Crimew’ or ‘it’.
Crimew is a well-known figure among hacking and cybersecurity circles. It has either taken credit for or been attributed to hacks from several major multinational corporations, including […]

2024 January 16, Matteo Garofalo, “Singular Purpose: Calculating the Degree of Ethno-Religious Over-representation in the USNo-Fly List”, in International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy:

(chiefly derogatory, offensive) A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an animate referent who is transgender or non-binary.

It's me. John.

Is it her?

It is I, your king.

Used to refer to someone being identified, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation.

It is nearly 10 o’clock.

It’s 10:45.

It’s very cold today.

It’s lonely without you.

The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement (known as the dummy pronoun, dummy it or weather it).

After all these years, she still has it.

Later that night, a friend told Brady, “Still got it.” “Never lost it,” he replied. THAT WAS MOSTLY TRUE. But the 2013 season ended with the Patriots coaches wondering whether Brady's skills were in a subtle but irrevocable decline […]

2021, Seth Wickersham, It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness, Liveright Publishing, →ISBN:

The impersonal pronoun, used without referent, or with unstated but contextually implied referent, in various short idioms or expressions.

Referring to a desirable quality or ability, or quality of being successful, fashionable or in vogue.

I caught them doing it.

Are you getting it regularly?

Is man really the only animal who does "it" face to face?

1968, Dear Doctor Hip Pocrates; advice your family doctor never gave you, page 5:

The great advantage of English public school life lies of course in the quality of tutelage it provides. Adrian had received a decent and broad English education in the area of his loins. […] He had quickly happened upon the truth which many lonely contemporaries would never discover, the truth that everybody, simply everybody, was panting for it and could, with patience, be shown that they were panting for it. So Adrian grabbed what was to hand and had the time of his life genitally – focusing exclusively on his own gender of course, for this was 1973 and girls had not yet been invented.

1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, page 10:

Referring to sexual intercourse or other sexual activity.

rough it

live it up

stick it out

'Tisn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just It. Some women'll stay in a man's memory if they once walked down a street

And she had It. It, hell; she had Those.

1927, Dorothy Parker, “Madame Glyn Lectures on 'It,' with Illustrations”, in The New Yorker, published 1927 November 26; republished in Brendan Gill, editor, The Portable Dorothy Parker, New York: Penguin, 1976, pages 464-468:

(uncountable) Sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond physical appearance.

It is easy to see how she would think that. (with the infinitive clause headed by to see)

"I know now!" said I. "I have seen this in your face a long while."
"No; have you really, my dear?" said he. "What a Dame Durden it is to read a face!"

1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:

I find it odd that you would say that. (with the noun clause introduced by that)

It is hard seeing you so sick. (with the gerund seeing)

He saw to it that everyone would vote for him. (with the noun clause introduced by that)

It is not clear if the report was true. (with the noun clause introduced by if)

syntactic expletive
syntactic expletive#English

The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object; known as the dummy pronoun (according to some definitions), anticipatory it or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive. The delayed subject is commonly a to-infinitive, a gerund, or a noun clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction.

not used in Dyirbal (Dyirbal has no third-person pronoun)

(subject pronouns are usually omitted, or a demonstrative is used: medial, proximal, and distal demonstratives:) τοῦτο (toûto)

Are there more students in this class, or is this it?

That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you.

All or the end; something after which there is no more.

In briefe, I am content, and what should providence add more? Surely this is it [= it which] wee call Happinesse, and this doe I enjoy [...].

1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2:

(obsolete) Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun: That which; what.


i

Here follow ſome few lines in the original, which not underſtanding i have omitted. […] Laſtly that amidſt ſo many viciſſitudes of fortune, to which I have been expoſed, amongſt all the goods, i ſay, and evils, the joyfull and gloomy, the pleaſing, and diſagreeable circumſtances of life, thou endowedſt me with an equal, conſtant, manly, and ſuperior ſpirit on every occaſion.

1762, Benj[amin] Stillingfleet, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Natural History, Husbandry, and Physick. To Which Is Added the Calendar of Flora., 2nd edition, London: […] R. and J. Dodsley, […]; S. Baker, […]; and T. Payne, […], pages 30 and 32:

(nonstandard) Alternative letter-case form of I


hers

From Middle English hires, heres, hers, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to her + -s (compare -'s).

That handbag is hers. These gloves are also hers.

Mine is the blue one, and hers is the red one.

This is a favourite song of hers. (double possessive)

The life of La Motte, who had more than saved her's […], depended on the testimony she should give.

1791, Ann Radcliffe, The Romance of the Forest, Penguin, published 1999, page 335:

The rest of us, meanwhile, would do well to accept that one woman’s choice is just that; hers and hers alone, not the standard by which all must be judged.

2019 August 31, Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian:

That or those belonging to her; the possessive case of she, used without a following noun.

Let's go over to hers.


some

From Middle English som, sum, from Old English sum (“some, a certain one”), from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic *sumaz (“some, a certain one”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one, whole”). Cognate Scots sum, some (“some”), North Frisian som, sam, säm (“some”), West Frisian sommige, somlike (“some”), dialectal Dutch som, saom (“some”), standard Dutch sommige (“some”), Low German somige (“some”), German dialectal summige (“some”), Danish somme (“some”), Swedish somlig (“some”), Norwegian sum, som (“some”), Icelandic sumur (“some”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 (sums, “one, someone”). More at same.

der

Some enjoy spicy food, others prefer it milder.

Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements.

2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 18:

Can I have some of them?

Please give me some of the cake.

Everyone is wrong some of the time.


his

From Middle English his, from Old English his (“his; its”), from Proto-Germanic *hes (“of this”), genitive of Proto-Germanic *hiz (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-, *ḱey- (“this”). Cognate with Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic hans (“his”). More at he; see also its.

This pen is his. These books are also his.

The decision was his to live with.

His is bigger than mine.

That cough of his is really getting on my nerves. (double possessive)

That or those belonging to him; the possessive case of he, used without a following noun.

After our night out, I went back to his.


any

From Middle English any, eny, ony, ani, aniȝ, eniȝ, æniȝ, from Old English ǣniġ (“any”), from Proto-West Germanic *ainīg, *ainag, from Proto-Germanic *ainagaz, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), equivalent to one + -y.
Cognate to Saterland Frisian eenich (“some”), West Frisian iennich (“only”), Dutch enig (“any, some”), Afrikaans enig (“any”), German Low German enig (“some”), German einig (“some”), Italian unico (“unique”), French unique (“unique”). Piecewise doublet of unique.

Any may apply.


one

head

one (reflexive oneself, possessive adjective one’s, plural ones)

oneself (reflexive)
one’s (adjective possessive)
ones (plural)

PIE word
 *h₁óynos
From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”).
Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. Doublet of a, an, and Uno.
The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een).
Verb form from Middle English onen.

inh

expressed by nominalization when following an adjective

see for numerical forms in other scripts

Any one of the boys.  The big one looks good.  I want the green one.  Every one of the bank’s employees.  A good driver is one who drives carefully.

Which happies thoſe that pay the willing lone; / That's for thy ſelfe to breed an other thee / Or ten times happier be it ten for one,[…]

1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 6”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:

(impersonal pronoun, indefinite) One thing (among a group of others); one member of a group.

She offered him an apple and an orange; he took one and left the other.

Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations:

(impersonal pronoun, sometimes with "the") The first mentioned of two things or people, as opposed to the other.

egyik

impersonal pronoun; the first mentioned of two things or people, as opposed to the other

One’s guilt may trouble one, but it is best not to let oneself be troubled by things which cannot be changed.  One shouldn’t be too quick to judge.

It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace,[…]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid,[…] — all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…].

1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:

One has to admire the sheer optimism of modern science: I love the fact that there is such a discipline as astrobiology, whose practitioners' task is to imagine what life might be like on other planets. Yet here on the home planet we have profoundly strange aliens of our own.

2013 September 6, Philip Hoare, “If we're all Martians, who are the aliens?”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 13, page 48:

(indefinite personal pronoun) Any person (applying to people in general).

اَلْمَرْء

indefinite personal pronoun; any person, people in general

usually expressed by the modal verbs or similar expressions

often omitted but e.g. ihminen may be used instead

expressed by subject indetermination or the use of passive voice

both usually with the oblique pronoun se

хоте́ться plus infinitive forms or reflexive forms used of type чу́вствоваться

dyn is used when it comes after a preposition

but is ei in the genitive form e.g. Mae iawnderau a dyletswyddau gyda dyn- One has rights and duties

Chwerthir am ei pen- One will be laughed at

"driver", noun: one who drives.


one

Analogous to several senses of Hokkien ê and Mandarin 的 (de, declarative particle, nominalizer, etc.). This semantic loan might have stemmed from the apparent similarity between one as a prop-word and 的/-ê as a nominalizer (e.g. 青色的 (“the green one”)). Compare Cantonese 嘅 (ge³).

sl

relative pronoun
relative pronoun#English

(Singapore, Singlish, rare) Used as a relative pronoun at the end of a relative clause.


her

From Middle English here, hir, hire, from Old English hire (“her”), from Proto-Germanic *hezōi (dative and genitive singular of *hijō).
Cognate with North Frisian hör, Saterland Frisian hier, hiere (“her”), West Frisian har (“her”), Dutch haar (“her”), German Low German hör (“her”), German ihr (“her”).

inh

dative and genitive singular of <i class="Latn mention" lang="gem-pro">*hijō</i>

Give it to her (after preposition)

He wrote her a letter (indirect object)

He treated her for a cold (direct object)

Him and her went for a walk (with a conjunction; deprecated)

Her's a bosting wench! (as a subject wihout a conjunction; dialect)

"Then what became of her?"
"Her? Which ‘her’? The park is full of ‘hers’."
"The lady with the green feathers in her hat. A big Gainsborough hat. I am quite sure it was Miss Hartuff."

February 1896, Ground-swells, by Jeannette H. Walworth, published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine; page 183

“I’ll bet ’er wor a toe-rag,” said Morel, following up his joke. ¶ “Don’t you be so cheeky about a queen,” said Annie.

1913, D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, Penguin Lawrence Edition, Penguin, published 1994, →ISBN, page 213:

"It's all right," he was shouting. "Come out, Mrs. Beaver. Come out, Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve. It's all right! It isn't her!" This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia—in our world they usually don't talk at all.

1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

Every day I had to watch as him and her went off for long walks together, and each night I had to go to my lonely, cold bed with the thought that they were sharing the same one […]

2013, James Tully, The Crimes of Charlotte Brontë:

The form of she used after a preposition, as the object of a verb, or (colloquial) as a subject with a conjunction; that woman, that ship, etc, or (dialect) as a subject without a conjunction.

(After preposition that governs the accusative) eam

(After preposition that governs the dative) ei

(After preposition that governs the ablative) ea

ci

indirect object with an imperative verb; attached to the end of the verb and becoming -[c]ci- when used along with a direct object


both

From Middle English bothe, boþe, from Old English bā þā (“both the; both those”) and possibly reinforced by Old Norse báðir, from Proto-Germanic *bai. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bee (“both”), West Frisian beide (“both”), Dutch beide (“both”), German beide (“both”), Swedish både, båda, Danish både, Norwegian både, Icelandic báðir. Replaced Middle English bō, from Old English bā, a form of Old English bēġen.

Did you want this one or that one? ―Give me both.

They were both here.

Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.

2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:


whom

head

whom (singular and plural objective case of who)

From Middle English whom, wham, from Old English hwām, hwǣm, from Proto-Germanic *hwammai, dative case of *hwaz (“who, what”). Cognate with Scots wham (“whom”), German wem (“whom, to whom”), Danish hvem (“who, whom”), Swedish vem (“who, whom”).

wie

what person; object of a verb (accusative)

مَنْ

what person or people, object of a preposition (dative)

keiden pl (inflected for some prepositions)

Whom did you ask?

“Oh?” she said. “So you have decided to revise my guest list for me? You have the nerve, the – the –” I saw she needed helping out. “Audacity,” I said, throwing her the line. “The audacity to dictate to me who I shall have in my house.” It should have been “whom”, but I let it go. “You have the –” “Crust.” “– the immortal rind,” she amended, and I had to admit it was stronger, “to tell me whom” – she got it right that time – “I may entertain at Brinkley Court and who” – wrong again – “I may not.”

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVIII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

(interrogative) What person or people; which person or people.

To whom are you referring?

With whom were you talking?

The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.

1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

“A very hearty pip-pip to you, old ancestor,” I said, well pleased, for she is a woman with whom it is always a privilege to chew the fat. “And a rousing toodle-oo to you, you young blot on the landscape,” she replied cordially.

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter I, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

That is the woman whom I spoke to earlier. (defining)

Mr Smith, whom we all know well, will be giving the speech. (non-defining)

He's a person with whom I work. (defining)

We have ten employees, half of whom are carpenters. (non-defining)

“Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke[…]whom the papers are making such a fuss about.”

1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:

The eminent brain specialist to whom she alluded was a man I would not have cared to lunch with myself, our relations having been on the stiff side since the night at Lady Wickham's place in Hertfordshire when, acting on the advice of my hostess's daughter Roberta, I had punctured his hot-water bottle with a darning needle in the small hours of the morning. Quite unintentional, of course.

A woman shooting pool whom you know has red hair even though the photograph is black and white.

1979 December 29, Tia Cross, “Lesbian Family Album”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 23, page 14:

(relative) Used to refer to a previously mentioned person or people.

To whom it may concern, all business of John Smith Ltd. has now been transferred to Floggitt & Runne.

(fused relative, archaic outside set patterns) The person(s) whom; whomever.

fused relative; archaic outside set patterns; fused relative; archaic outside set patterns

Whom was Lemmy bassist for? Motörhead!

(informal, especially non-US) Also used with names of collective nouns that are groups of people, especially singularly-named musical groups or sports teams.


mine

From Middle English min, myn, from Old English mīn, from Proto-West Germanic *mīn, from Proto-Germanic *mīnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *méynos.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian mien, West Frisian myn, Dutch mijn, Low German mien, German mein, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian min, Icelandic mín.

The house itself is mine, but the land is not.

These books are mine.

Ah, but how beautiful (my baby boy) is! And he is mine, mine for ever. Even if he hates me he will be mine. He cannot help it, he is made out of me; I am his father.

1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapter 7

That or those belonging to me.
Used predicatively.

(Attic Greek, possessive adjective with article in appropriate gender and number) ὁ ἐμός (ho emós)

Mine has been a long journey.

Used substantively, with an implied noun.

Mine for only a week so far, it already feels like an old friend.

Used absolutely, set off from the sentence.

We had the party at mine.

That or those belonging to me.
(informal) My house or home.

That or those belonging to me.
My house or home.

This house of mine is over 100 years old.

double possessive
double possessive#English

That or those belonging to me.
As double possessive.


them

them (third-person, personal pronoun, objective case of they)

From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.

ata

third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb

nich (genitive, locative after preposition)

jimi (instrumental) nimi (instrumental after preposition)

(indirect object, colloquial; enclitic, becomes glie when used with a direct object) gli

wọ́n

following a complex verb or monosyllabic verb ending in a low- or mid-tone

wọn

following a monosyllabic verb ending in a high tone

hänet

third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender

häneltä

she", of which the ones listed are the most frequently used

She treated them for a cold.

(in the plural) Those ones.
Used as the direct object of a verb.

She wrote them a letter.

(in the plural) Those ones.
Used as the indirect object of a verb.

Give it to them.

(in the plural) Those ones.
Used as the object of a preposition.

If a student has an inappropriate question, whatever you do, do not berate them.

If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, […] [t]hen shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 17:2–5:

Place the casualty on their back with feet and legs raised—this is called the shock position. [emphasis in original] Once the casualty is positioned, cover them to preserve body heat, but do not overheat.

2006, St. John Ambulance, First on the Scene: Student Reference Guide, →ISBN, Lesson 2, page 3:

Someone in the crowd around the lifts called sycophantically, ‘Morning, Yaxley!’ Yaxley ignored them.

2007, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, London: Bloomsbury, 2008, →ISBN, page 270:

(in the singular) A single person, previously mentioned, especially if of unknown or non-binary gender.

If one of my patients calls, please bring them their dinner.

If someone comes and asks for the ticket, just give it to them.

Each adolescent girl with ASD has needs specific to her because each of them has variable characteristics and different degrees of sensory and perceptual difficulties.

2024 July 2, Rukiye Arslan, Derya Yanık, Raziye Pekşen Akça, “Investigation of Menstrual Hygiene and Self-Care Skills of Adolescent Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mother Views”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, →DOI:

I know it seems unfair, but them's the rules.

(informal, in certain phrases, treated as singular) They or those.


him

Jamaican Creole: im

Pijin: hem

Pijin: -im

'em for unstressed in some pronunciations.

From Middle English him, from Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian him (“him”), West Frisian him (“him”), Sylt North Frisian ham, höm (“him”), Dutch hem (“him”), German Low German hum, hüm, em (“him”), German ihm (“him”, dative).

inh

[…]therfoꝛ Chꝛiſt wold not call him abominable / But the verye abomination it ſilf.

1529, John Frith, A piſtle to the Chriſten reader […] :

‘I promise,’ he said as I gave him the papers.

1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:

A masculine pronoun; he as a grammatical object.

With dative effect or as an indirect object.

She was in no humour for conversation with anyone but himself; and to him she had hardly courage to speak.

1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

(after preposition that governs accusative) αὐτόν (autón)

(after preposition that governs dative) αὐτῷ (autôi)

(after preposition that governs genitive) αὐτοῦ (autoû)

(after preposition that governs the accusative) eum

(after preposition that governs the dative) eī

(after preposition that governs ablative) eō

niemu (only after ku, przeciw, przeciwko and dzięki)

‘He's got it buttoned in his breast. I saw him put it there.’

1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:

With accusative effect or as a direct object.

l'

before or after vowel; the 3 placed before verb

Now him and Bernie are best friends.

Released a [statement] warning that him and 25,000 troops were going to stage a coup.

(colloquial) As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction.

Apon a daye apoynted, the kynge arayed hym in royall apparell, and set hym in his seate, and made an oracion unto them.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:

Though poor the peasant’s hut, his feasts though small,
He sees his little lot the lot of all;
[...]
But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil,
Each wish contracting, fits him to the soil.

1765, Oliver Goldsmith, The traveller, or, A prospect of society:

(now rare) Used reflexively: (to) himself.

Before my body, I throw my warlike Shield: Lay on Macduffe, And damn'd be him, that first cries hold, enough.

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene x]:

Lowe quit the West Wing last year amid rumours that he was unhappy that his co-stars earned more than him.

2003 June 11, Claire Cozens, The Guardian:

With nominative effect: he, especially as a predicate after be, or following a preposition.

Stop trying that, you're not him bro.

Bro thinks he's him.

Watched this one live, he randomly got it less than an hour into the stream while derusting for PACE. He's just him.

2023 October 25, u/baggypantsman, “Super Mario 64 - 0 Star in 6:16 by Suigi”, in Reddit, r/speedrun, archived from the original on 2023-12-23:

(slang) A person of elevated skill at a sport, game, or other activity.


us

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *n̥smé
Proto-Germanic *uns
Old English ūs
Middle English us
English us
From Middle English us, from Old English ūs (“us”, dative personal pronoun), from Proto-Germanic *uns (“us”), from Proto-Indo-European *ne-, *nō-, *n-ge-, *n̥smé (“us”). The compensatory lengthening was lost in Middle English due to the word being unstressed while being used. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uus (“us”), West Frisian us, ús (“us”), Low German us (“us”), Dutch ons (“us”), German uns (“us”), Danish os (“us”), Latin nōs (“we, us”).

inh

my very educated mother just served us nachos

my very educated mother just served us nine pizzas

my very educated mother just served us nine pumpkins

my very educated mother just served us noodles

my very excellent mother just served us nine pizzas

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:1:

Who's there? —Us. (or) —It's us.
Who's going to go? —Us. We'll go.

Used where "me" would be used instead of "I", e.g. for the pronoun in isolation or as the complement of the copula

(personal) Me and at least one other person; the objective case of we.

Give us a look at your paper.

Give us your wallet!

She's turned the weans against us!

(Commonwealth, colloquial, chiefly with give) Me.

We'll have to throw us food out.

Look at us while you’re speaking to us.

Could you do that for us?


whose

From Middle English whos, from Old English hwæs, from Proto-Germanic *hwes, genitive case of *hwaz (“who”) *hwat (“what”).

à qui?

(interrogative) that or those of whom or belonging to whom

wem gehört/gehören?

whose is/are, to whom does it / do they belong?

akié

(relative) that or those of whom or belonging to whom

Several people have lost their suitcases. Whose have you found?

(interrogative) That or those of whom or belonging to whom.

This car is blocking the way, but Mr Smith, whose it is, will be here shortly.

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 27:23:

If he starts it on another man's lands, and kills it there, it belongs to the owner of the land; but if he start game on one man's lands, and pursue it to those of another, and kill it there, it is neither the property of the man on whose lands it is started, nor of him on whose it is killed, but belongs to the killer.

1833, Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 3, page 637 (Google Books view)

The notes on authors are extremely brilliant and incisive, not always in good perspective and sometimes freaky in their wit, as, for instance, the reference to Mrs. Holmes, of whose books it is said, "The secret of their long popularity has never been divulged by their readers," and Mrs. Harris, of whose it is said, "To a lively mind they should be conducive of profound sleep," which, whatever its faults, is by no means true of "Rutledge."

1895, Library Journal, Volume 20, page 397 (Google Books view)

(relative) That or those of whom or belonging to whom.


at

Tak us t’ foxes, t’ little foxes at spoils t’ veynes: fer our veynes hev tender grapes.

1860, Robert Gordon Latham, Song of Solomon, as spoken in Durham [by Thomas Moore], in A hand-book of the English language

(Northern England, rare, possibly obsolete) Alternative form of 'at (relative pronoun; reduced form of “that” and/or “what”)


enough

From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *ganuganą 'to suffice' (compare Old English ġeneah), or from *ga- + an unattested *nōgaz, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂nó(n)ḱe (“he has reached, attained”), perfective of *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”) (compare Old Irish tánaic (“he arrived”), Latin nancisci (“to get”), Albanian kënaq (“to please, satisfy”)}.).

der

I have enough (of it) to keep me going.

Enough of you are here to begin the class.

Get some more plates. There aren’t enough yet.

Not enough is known yet about the causes of the pandemic.

There wasn't enough of an economic surplus.

A sufficient or adequate number, amount, etc.

բավական

a sufficient or adequate number, amount, etc


nada

Borrowed from Spanish nada (“nothing”). Doublet of née.

Sketchers lookin' like Balenciaga / Thrift clothes lookin' like the Prada / Whole fit lit, it cost me nada

2019, “Balenciaga”, performed by Princess Nokia:

(informal, colloquial, chiefly US) Nothing.


you

head

you (second person, singular or plural, nominative or objective, possessive determiner your, possessive pronoun yours, singular reflexive yourself, plural reflexive yourselves)

en-pron

your (determiner possessive)
yours (possessive pronoun without-noun)
yourself (reflexive singular)
yourselves (plural reflexive)

Belizean Creole: yu

Bislama: yu

Cameroon Pidgin: you

Jamaican Creole: yuh

Nigerian Pidgin: yu

Sranan Tongo: yu

Tok Pisin: yu

Torres Strait Creole: yu

From Middle English you, yow, ȝow (object case of ye), from Old English ēow (“you”, dative case of ġē), from Proto-Germanic *iwwiz (“you”, dative case of *jīz), Western form of *izwiz (“you”, dative case of *jūz), from Proto-Indo-European *yūs (“you”, plural), *yū́.
Cognate with Scots you (“you”), Saterland Frisian jou (“you”), West Frisian jo (“you”), Low German jo, joe and oe (“you”), Dutch jou and u (“you”), Middle High German eu, iu (“you”, object pronoun), Latin vōs (“you”), Avestan 𐬬𐬋 (vō, “you”), Ashkun yë̃́ (“you”), Kamkata-viri šó (“you”), Sanskrit यूयम् (yūyám, “you”)
See usage notes. Ye, you and your are cognate with Dutch jij/je, jou, jouw; Low German ji, jo/ju, jug and German ihr, euch and euer respectively. Ye is also cognate with Danish I and archaic Swedish I.

inh

dative case of <i class="Latn mention" lang="ang">ġē</i>

der

dative case of <i class="Latn mention" lang="gem-pro">*jīz</i>

julle

object pronoun: the group being addressed

(familiar in Portugal, archaic in Brazil) vos (without prepositions) convosco (attached to the preposition "com")

(after preposition "a":) (familiar in Spain, archaic in Latin America) vosotros m

mo

object pronoun: the person being addressed

contigo (familiar, attached to the preposition "com")

(polite in Portugal, general in most of Brazil) você (polite in Portugal, general in most of Brazil, with or without prepositions)

a f (without prepositions) consigo (attached to the preposition "com"; only used with this meaning in Portugal)

шәара

subject pronoun: the group being addressed

(usually indicated by the suffix only) (informal) -tok

貴方達

(generic) (discourteous if used for a superior)

너희

generic, discourteous if used for a superior

vós

archaic or poetic outside rural northern Portugal

with the widespread use of kinship terms as pronouns

y'all

subject pronoun: persons spoken/written to; plural

thee

object pronoun: person spoken/written to

ye

object pronoun: persons spoken/written to

you kiss your grandfather with that mouth

:Category:English second person pronouns

Both of you should get ready now.

And Ioſeph ſaid vnto them, That is it that I ſpake vnto you, ſaying, Ye are ſpies.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 42:14, column 1:

(object pronoun) The people spoken, or written to, as an object.

If I may counsaile you, some day or two / Your Highnesse shall repose you at the Tower [...].

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis XIX::

'Draw near, and wash you in the living flames, and take their virtue into your poor frames in all its virgin strength[.]'

1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

‘Pull you up a chair,’ she offered.

You'd better get you a gun and kill him before he kills you or somebody.

(reflexive pronoun, now US colloquial) (To) yourselves, (to) yourself.

I charge you, as ye woll have my love, that ye warne your kynnesmen that ye woll beare that day the slyve of golde uppon your helmet.

c. 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VIII:

(object pronoun) The person spoken to or written to, as an object. (Replacing thee; originally as a mark of respect.)

You are all supposed to do as I tell you.

Are you excited? ― Yes, I am excited!
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

(subject pronoun) The people spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Replacing ye.)

You are right, Fanny, to protest against such an office, but you need not be afraid.

1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Mansfield Park: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 208:

(subject pronoun) The person spoken to or written to, as a subject. (Originally as a mark of respect.)

уара

subject pronoun: the person being addressed

(usually indicated by the suffix only) (informal) -sz

yer

subject pronoun: person spoken/written to

plus the alternative forms listed above and at Appendix:English personal pronouns

I get that you're from Southeast Michigan, but I'm still surprised that you're a Detroit Lions fan. You have been on the receiving end of losing seasons for a while now.

(object pronoun, colloquial) A person's favorite sports team.

You can't choose your family, your lovers are difficult and volatile, but, oh, you can choose your friends - so doesn't it make much more sense to live and holiday with them instead?

(indefinite personal pronoun) Anyone, one; an unspecified individual or group of individuals (as subject or object).

kina

indicative mood used instead of interrogative mood


whether

From Middle English whether, whather, from Old English hweþer, hwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz, comparative form of *hwaz (“who”). Cognate with German weder (“neither”), Swedish var, Icelandic hvor (“each of two, which of two”).

cog

The debite answered and sayde unto them: whether of the twayne will ye that I lett loosse unto you?

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew:

Whether of them twain did the will of his father?

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 21:31:

I told them we were in a country where we all knew there was a great deal of gold, and that all the world sent ships thither to get it; that we did not indeed know where it was, and so we might get a great deal, or a little, we did not know whether; […]

1720, [Daniel Defoe], The Life, Adventures, and Pyracies, of the Famous Captain Singleton, London: […] J[ohn] Brotherton, […], J[ohn] Graves […], A[nne] Dodd, […], and T[homas] Warner, […], →OCLC:

On the 17th, we came in full view of a great island, or continent (for we knew not whether;) on the south side whereof was a small neck of land jutting out into the sea, and a creek too shallow to hold a ship of above one hundred tons.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag):

"Whether is better, the gift or the donor? / Come to me," / Quoth the pine tree, "I am the giver of honor."

1847, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Woodnotes II:


man

From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- m, from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of Manu.

mang

dialectal rendering, suggesting a Spanish accent

mane

dialectal rendering, suggesting an AAVE accent

mon

used in the vocative, in places such as Jamaica and Shropshire in England

man's got some new creps

Sully: If it weren’t for that snake […] Man wouldn’t even be in this mess right now.

before I got arrested man paid for my own ticket to go Jamaica you know . but I’ve never paid to go on no holiday before this time I paid (Dexter, MLE)

2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:

The girl told me, "take off your jacket" / I said, "Babe, man's not hot" (never hot)

2017 September 22, “Man's Not Hot”performed by Big Shaq [Michael Dapaah]:

Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken.

2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings:

(MLE, slang, personal pronoun) Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; construed in the third person.

man thinks i was born yesterday

Oh, come on. Help a brother out. People see you coppin', might inspire them. Look, I know you ain't payin' bills right now. Man must have bare peas saved up.

2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Nathan (Simon Manyonda):

(MLE, slang, personal pronoun) You; construed in the third person.

man don't care

He was of all colours Þat man may se of flours Be-twene Mydsomer and May.

c. 1450, Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus:

I don’t really mind how . how my girl looks if she looks decent yeah and there’s one bit of her face that just looks mashed yeah . I don’t care it’s her personality man’s looking at (Alex, Multicultural London English corpus [MLE])

(MLE, slang, indefinite personal pronoun) Any person, one


which

From Middle English which, hwic, wilche, hwilch, whilk, hwilc, from Old English hwelċ (“which”), from Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz (“what kind”, literally “like what”), derived from *hwaz, equivalent to who + like. Cognates include Scots whilk (“which”), West Frisian hokker (“which”), Dutch welk (“which”), Low German welk (“which”), German welcher (“which”), Danish hvilken (“which”), Swedish vilken (“which”), Norwegian hvilken (“which”), Icelandic hvílíkur (“which”).

Which is which?

By now, you must surely know which is which.

Which is bigger, the red one or the blue one?

I'm unable to determine which is bigger.

Which of these do you want to keep?

Which of these banes of modern business life is worse remains open to debate. But what is clear is that office workers are on a treadmill of pointless activity. Managers allow meetings to drag on for hours. Workers generate e-mails because it requires little effort and no thought. An entire management industry exists to spin the treadmill ever faster.

2013 August 17, Schumpeter, “In praise of laziness”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8849:

(interrogative) What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied).

Please take which you please.

(not in common use) The/Any ones that; whichever.

Flour contains starch, which is a type of carbohydrate.

I found my camera, which I thought I'd lost, under the bed.

I entered the room, at the far end of which was a small table.

Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0091:

Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.

2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:

non-restrictive relative clause
non-restrictive relative clause#English

(relative) In a non-restrictive relative clause, referring to something previously mentioned.

She had a young child, which cried incessantly.

(chiefly archaic) Used of people (now generally who, whom, that; which remains possible with words also referred to by it such as baby, child).

The front door was open, which concerned me.

He had to leave, which was very difficult.

She saved my life, for which I am eternally grateful.

Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

This is the letter which I received.

This is the letter in which he explains his decision.

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:1:

restrictive relative clause
restrictive relative clause#English

(relative, sometimes proscribed, see usage notes) In a restrictive relative clause, referring to a noun previously mentioned.

The men which acompanyed him on his waye stode amased, for they herde a voyce, butt sawe no man.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:


this

From Middle English this, from Old English þis (neuter demonstrative), from North Sea Germanic base *þa- "that", from Proto-Germanic *þat, from Proto-Indo-European *tód, extended form of demonstrative base *to-; + North-West Germanic definitive suffix -s, from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this, that”).
Cognate with Scots this (“this”), Saterland Frisian dusse (“this”), West Frisian dizze (“this”), German dies, dieses (“this”), Old Gutnish þissi (“this”).

This isn't the item that I ordered.

This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,—often the surfeit of our own behaviour,—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars[…]

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:


they

head

they (third-person, nominative case, usually plural, sometimes singular, objective case them, possessive their, possessive noun theirs, reflexive themselves, or reflexive singular themself)

en-pron

them (objective)
their (possessive)
theirs (noun possessive)
themselves (reflexive)
themself (reflexive singular)

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *tóy
Proto-Germanic *þai
Proto-Norse *ᚦᚨᛁᛉ (*þaiʀ)
Old Norse þeirbor.
Middle English þei
English they From Middle English þei, borrowed in the 1200s from Old Norse þeir, plural of the demonstrative sá which acted as a plural pronoun. Displaced native Middle English he from Old English hīe — which vowel changes had left indistinct from he (“he”) — by the 1400s, being readily incorporated alongside native words beginning with the same sound (the, that, this). Used as a singular pronoun since 1300, e.g. in the 1325 Cursor Mundi.
The Norse term (whence also Icelandic þeir (“they”), Faroese teir (“they”), Danish de (“they”), Swedish de (“they”), Norwegian Nynorsk dei (“they”)) is from Proto-Germanic *þai (“those”) (from Proto-Indo-European *to- (“that”)), whence also Old English þā (“those”) (whence obsolete English tho), Scots thae, thai, thay (“they; those”).
The origin of the determiner they (“the, those”) is unclear. The OED, English Dialect Dictionary and Middle English Dictionary define it and its Middle English predecessor thei as a demonstrative determiner or adjective meaning "those" or "the". This could be a continuation of the use of the English pronoun they's Old Norse etymon þeir as a demonstrative meaning "those", but the OED and EDD say it is limited to southern, especially southwestern, England, specifically outside the region of Norse contact.

etymon

it doesn't matter what they say about you as long as they spell your name right

other attested third-person singular pronouns

Fred and Jane? They just arrived.

Dogs may bark if they want to be fed.

Plants wilt if they are not watered.

I have a car and a truck, but they are both broken.

[…]purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.

1620, Giovanni Bocaccio, translated by John Florio, The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen, Isaac Iaggard, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day:

There is no reason to be scared of iguanas. They do not attack humans.

2010, Iguana Invasion!: Exotic Pets Gone Wild in Florida, →ISBN, page 9:

(the third-person plural nominative) A group of entities previously mentioned.

Somebody requested a seat at Friday's performance but didn't say if they preferred the balcony or the floor.

If someone enters the restricted area, they are required to present identification.

One of the boys tripped over, and they hit their head on the door.

Then shalt thou bring forth that man, or that woman (which haue committed that wicked thing) vnto thy gates, euen that man, or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 17:5:

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione.

1997, J. K. Rowling, chapter 10, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, (quoted edition: London: Bloomsbury, 2000, →ISBN, page 187):

One thing a nominee earns is the right to pick the vice president that they think will best reflect their vision of the country, and I am just glad I will have nothing to do with it.

2008, Michelle Obama, quoted in Lisa Rogak, Michelle Obama in Her Own Words, New York, NY: PublicAffairs, 2009. →ISBN, page 18

The boycott, led by Elisha Lim, of a Toronto gay and lesbian newspaper after it refused to use their preferred pronoun ["they"], citing grammar considerations, inspired me.

2014, Ivan E. Coyote, Rae Spoon, Gender Failure, →ISBN:

I'm angry that we're here again, that we have had to tell another mother that their child is dead.

2015 April, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (mayor of Baltimore), commenting on the death of Freddie Gray

(the third-person singular nominative, occasionally proscribed) A single person, previously mentioned, but typically not if previously named and identified as male or female, especially if of unknown, irrelevant or (since 21st century) non-binary gender. Now increasingly used for an unnamed person even if the gender of the person is identified.

the third-person singular nominative; occasionally proscribed; the third-person singular nominative; occasionally proscribed

not used in Dyirbal (Dyirbal has no third-person pronoun)

(usually indicated by the suffix only) -nak

o

third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender

(usually indicated by the third-person singular zero suffix only) -∅

그 (geu) (literary, poetic, or in translated works only)

They say it’s a good place to live.

They didn’t have computers in the old days.

Always get a second source, they tell us in investigative lexicography;[…]

1986 February 16, William Safire, “On Language; Moon Of My Delight”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-05-24, Section 6 / Magazine, page 10:

I am beautiful, no matter what they say

2002, Linda Perry (lyrics and music), “Beautiful”, in Stripped, performed by Christina Aguilera:

(indefinite pronoun, vague meaning) People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.

They'll tax us for the air we breathe next.

They should increase our wages.

Ha, you believe the moon is real? That's just what they want you to think.

(indefinite pronoun) The authorities: government, police, employers, etc.

(bridge) The opponents of the side which is keeping score.


they

They’s music in the twitter of the bluebird and the jay.

1889, James Whitcomb Riley, Pipes o' Pan:

MARY ELLEN is a different case from the others. She has five children and, she claims: "I don't know who they father is. I ain't never kept track. They is always another one. You know, I can catch me a guy[.]"

1974, Arthur Hippler, Hunter's Point: a black ghetto in America, page 88:

They ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

But they ain’t nothin’ in there you didn’t already have.

2008, Christian Carvajal, Lightfall, page 82:

Well, they’s a lot of ‘em didn’t survive, if you believe me.

2010, Alessandro Portelli, They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History, page 207:

(US dialectal) There (especially as an expletive subject of be).


she

head

she (third-person singular, feminine, nominative case, oblique and possessive her, possessive hers, reflexive herself)

en-pron

her (oblique possessive)
hers (possessive)
herself (reflexive)

Inherited from Middle English sche, scho, hyo, ȝho (“she”), whence also Yorkshire dialectal shoo (“she”), Scots she, sho (“she”).
Probably from Old English hēo (whence dialectal English hoo), with an irregular change in stress from hēo to heō /hjoː/, then a development from /hj-/ to /ç/ to /ʃ-/, similar to the derivation of Shetland from Old Norse Hjaltland. In this case, she is from Proto-West Germanic *hiju, from Proto-Germanic *hijō f (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-, *ḱey- (“this, here”), and is cognate with Saterland Frisian jo, ju, West Frisian hja, North Frisian jü, Danish hun, Swedish hon; more at he.
A derivation from Old English sēo (“the or that", occasionally "she”) is also possible, though less likely. In that case, sēo would have undergone a change in stress from sēo to seō /sjoː/, then a change from /sj-/ to /ʃ-/, similar to the derivation of sure from Old French seur. It would then be cognate to Dutch zij and German sie.
Neither etymology would be expected to yield the modern vocalism in /iː/ (the expected form would be shoo, which is in fact found dialectally). It may be due to influence from he, but both hēo and sēo also have rare variants (hīe and sīe) that may give modern English /iː/.

cog

es (in reference to some neuter common nouns like Mädchen)

(subject pronouns usually omitted, or a demonstrative is used: medial, proximal, and distal:) αὕτη f (haútē)

(usually indicated by the zero suffix only) -∅

I asked Mary, but she said that she didn't know.

After the cat killed a mouse, she left it on our doorstep.

Goodly she entertaind those noble knights, / And brought them vp into her castle hall […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

The mother, Ekaterina Pavlovna, who at one time had been handsome, but now, asthmatic, depressed, vague, and over-feeble for her years, tried to entertain me with conversation about painting. Having heard from her daughter that I might come to Shelkovka, she had hurriedly recalled two or three of my landscapes which she had seen in exhibitions in Moscow, and now asked what I meant to express by them.

1917, Anton Chekhov, translated by Constance Garnett, The Darling and Other Stories, Project Gutenberg, published 9 September 2004, →ISBN, page 71:

(personal) The female (typically) person or animal previously mentioned or implied.

She could do forty knots in good weather.

She is a beautiful boat, isn’t she?

(personal, sometimes endearing) A ship or boat.

sie

in reference to proper nouns of ships like Titanic

sí

even though the word for ‘boat’ is masculine

She is a poor place, but has beautiful scenery and friendly people.

(personal, dated, sometimes endearing) A country, or sometimes a city, province, planet, etc.

She only gets thirty miles to the gallon on the highway, but she’s durable.

Prodigal in everything, summer spreads her blessings with lavish unconcern, and waving her magic wand across the landscape of the world, she bids the sons of men to enter in and possess. Summer is the great consummation.

1928, The Journal of the American Dental Association, page 765:

She is my 57 Chevy / My 57 Chevy runs so fine / No one can beat my 57 Chevy

1977, “57 Chevy”, in Kansas City Slickers, performed by The Leopards:

The car’s engine revved up, and the back wheels screeched. Then she lurched forward at terrific speed.

2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(personal, endearing or poetic, chiefly dated) A thing, especially a machine or other object, such as a car, a computer, or (poetically) a season.

Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen. For a child, it could be placing with trembling fingers the last block on a tower she has built, higher than any she has built so far; for a swimmer, it could be trying to beat his own record; for a violinist, mastering an intricate musical passage.

(personal, nonstandard) A person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant (used in a work, along with or in place of he, as an indefinite pronoun).


ourself

head

ourself (first person, singular reflexive of we)

From Middle English oure-selfe; equivalent to our + -self.

In the present study, we will limit ourself to the simplest of cases.

Without in any way committing ourself upon this point, we have merely to observe, that we are ready to receive sealed offers containing a full specification of age, temper, appearance, and condition[…]

1838, Charles Dickens, Sketches of Young Gentlemen:

He then offered to guide us down to see for ourself, but one look down that dark hole to the water about 60 feet below completely dampened our speluncean ardor.

1962, Princeton Alumni Weekly, volume 63, page 24:

(reflexive pronoun) The reflexive of the royal or editorial we: myself (as used by a monarch, writer or speaker who is referring to themself as we).

We should love our neighbor as ourself.

(reflexive pronoun) The reflexive of the generic we: oneself.

(African-American Vernacular) The reflexive of we: ourselves.


he

he (third-person singular, masculine, nominative case, oblique him, reflexive himself, possessive his)

en-pron

him (oblique)
himself (reflexive)
his (possessive)

From Middle English he, from Old English hē, from Proto-West Germanic *hiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hiz (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís (“this”).
Cognate with Scots he (“he”), North Frisian he, hi (“he”), Saterland Frisian hie (“he”), West Frisian hy (“he”), Dutch hij, ie (“he”), German Low German he (“he”), Middle High German her (“he”) Central Franconian hä (“he”), Gothic *𐌷𐌹𐍃 (*his, “this”).

[…]purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.

1620, Giovanni Bocaccio, translated by John Florio, The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen, Isaac Iaggard, →ISBN, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day:

"It was he we saw the tracks of down by Rausand hill."

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 77:

July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Riseshttp://www.avclub.com/articles/the-dark-knight-rises-review-batman,82624/
Though Bane’s sing-song voice gives his pronouncements a funny lilt, he doesn’t have any of the Joker’s deranged wit, and Nolan isn’t interested in undercutting his seriousness for the sake of a breezier entertainment.

(personal) A male person or animal already known or implied.

The rulebook clearly states that "if any student is caught cheating, he will be expelled", and you were caught cheating, were you not, Anna?

First, to avoid the cumbrous ‘he or she’ and ‘his or hers’, and the ungrammatical ‘they’ when used in the singular, I have mostly stuck to saying ‘he’ or ‘his’. I hope that this will be understood in an unchauvinistic, gender-neutral way.

2010, Tom Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill, The Rule of Law, Penguin Books, →ISBN, Preface, page ix:

(personal, sometimes proscribed, see usage notes) They; he or she (a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant).

(personal, sometimes proscribed) It; an animal whose gender is unknown.

JUPITER is the largest of all the Planets, his Orbit lies between the Orbits of the Earth and Mars, and at the cast Distance of 426 Millions of Miles from the Sun, he goes round him in 11 Years, 314 Days and 12 Hours; […]

1770, A Mathematical Miscellany in Four Parts, 3rd edition, page 125:

He [= the ship Bismarck] was made to rule the waves across the seven seas […]

A genderless object regarded as masculine, such as certain stars or planets (e.g. Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter) or certain ships.

(subject pronouns are often omitted, or a demonstrative is used: medial, proximal, distal) οὗτος (hoûtos)


one's self

One can teach one's self to do this.


blud

head

blud (third-person singular, masculine, nominative or objective case)

en-pron

Created in Multicultural London English, of Jamaican origin. Has since spread around England, and thence Anglosphere and online. Claimed to be, via eye dialect spelling, from Caribbean Creole blood (“family relation, close friend”) (compare blood brother). Possibly derived or reinforced from brother; compare bro, bruh, brudder etc.

what is blud waffling about

2023 February 3, maddy🍋 (@fyridk), Twitter:

who invited blud

2023 February 11, 🔴 (@TenHag_Szn), Twitter:

Blud was lost

2023 February 2, Dom2K (@Dom_2k), Twitter:

What is wrong with blud 😂😂🙌🙌

2023 February 11, Åmplė  Cålm (@ample_calm), Twitter:

What’s blud tryna say here

2023 February 2, MN1F🇬🇧 (@Wuwakia90), Twitter:

(UK, MLE, slang, often humorous or ironic) he or him


yourselves

head

yourselves (second person, plural of yourself, plural reflexive of you)

yourself (plural-of)
of you (plural reflexive)

You shouldn't blame yourselves.

Talk amongst yourselves.

(reflexive pronoun) Inflection of you (plural) used as the object of a verb or non-locative preposition in a clause whose subject is the same (the people addressed).

أَنْفُسُكُم

you (referring to the people being spoken to, previously mentioned)

You yourselves won’t eat at that restaurant. Why are you recommending it to us?

(emphatic) You (plural), used to intensify the subject as the group addressed.


y'all

y'all (second-person plural nominative or objective, possessive determiner y'all's, possessive pronoun y'all's, reflexive y'allselves)

tlb

(informal, now chiefly Southern US, African-American Vernacular, New York Latino English, Appalachia, Caribbean, Indian South African English, Māori English, Newfoundland and Labrador)

y'all's (determiner possessive)
y'all's (possessive pronoun without-noun)
y'allselves (reflexive)

Contraction of you all, and/or from Scots ye aw. Attested since at least 1631.
Compare Dutch jullie (originally jij lui (literally “you people”)) for a similar development of a new plural pronoun out of Proto-Germanic *jīz that originally was already plural.

[...] and this y'all know is true, [...]

1631, William Lisle, The Faire Æthiopian:

Much later, after dozens of the men had come up to me to shake my hand (with both of theirs) and say "Y'all come back soon, hear? ...

1987, Judson D. Hale, The education of a Yankee: an American memoir, page 3:

People in the South do indeed seem to be addressing a single person as "y'all." For instance, a restaurant patron might ask a waiter, "What y'all got for dessert tonight?" In that case, "y'all" refers collectively to the people who run the restaurant.

2007, Roy Blount, Long time leaving: dispatches from up South, page 117:

Hey y'all!

(rare, chiefly Southern US) Singular you.


ourselves

head

ourselves (first personal plural pronoun, reflexive case of we)

We should keep this for ourselves.

(reflexive pronoun) Us; the group including the speaker as the object of a verb or preposition when that group also is the subject.

We did it ourselves.

(emphatic) We; intensifies the subject as the group including the speaker, especially to indicate that no one else satisfies the predicate.


that

From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian taĩ, Polish to.

tuo

when pointed to or indicated by the speaker

se (when not pointed to or indicated by the speaker, for closer objects, in relative clauses or referring to what was said before)

is that what the kids are calling it these days

that accounts for the milk in the coconut

that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee

that's for me to know and you to find out

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger

that which has been seen cannot be unseen

They're getting divorced. What do you think about that?

(demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action, or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.

The water is so cold! — That it is.

Would you like another piece of cake? — That I would!

We think that you stole the tarts. — That I did not!

Used to emphatically affirm or deny a previous statement or question.

That's my car over there.

He went home, and after that I never saw him again.

To be, or not to be, that is the queſtion, / Whether tis nobler in the minde to ſuffer / The ſlings and arrowes of outragious fortune, / Or to take Armes againſt a ſea of troubles, / And by oppoſing, end them, […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature G2, recto:

[A] second man—[…]—was qualified and fitted, both intellectually and morally,—and that to an exceptional extent—to be the Head […]

1888 July, The Original Secession Magazine, page 766:

"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."

1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “In the Bay of Biscay”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 16:

However[…], the British were unable to do much about it short of going to war with St Petersburg, and that the government was unwilling to do.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 310:

I've never seen someone beaten unconscious before. That’s lesbians for you.

2005, Joey Comeau, Lockpick Pornography (Loose Teeth Press)

"She is very honourable," said Mrs. Thompson, solemnly. "Yes, one sees she is that, and so simple-minded."

1910, Helen Granville-Barker, An Apprentice to Truth, page 214:

I didn't see the car that hit me.

The CPR course that she took really came in handy.

The house that he lived in was old and dilapidated.

This is the person that swore at me. (sometimes proscribed)

The poor cat, that had been trapped for three days, was freed this morning. (non-restrictive use; sometimes proscribed; see usage notes)

By heauen ile make a ghoſt of him that lets me, […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature C3, verso:

His [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s] ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott.

2011 November 11, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Tony Gallagher, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2011-11-11:

Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist (Science and technology section), volume 408, number 8845, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2013-07-19:

(relative, plural that) In a relative clause, referring to a previously mentioned noun, as subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition; which, who.

the place that [= where or to which] I went last year

the last time that [= when] I went to Europe

(relative, colloquial) Used in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.


thyself

From Middle English thy-selfe, thiself, thi-zelf, from Old English þīnes selfes, equivalent to thy + -self. Compare Middle English thou-self.

Thou hast only thyself to blame.

Thou thyself art to blame.

Physician, heal thyself.

(archaic, literary, dialectal) yourself (as the object of a verb or preposition or as an intensifier); reflexive case of thou


oneself

head

oneself (reflexive form of the indefinite personal pronoun one, formerly sometimes two words: one's self)

en-pron

A contracted form of one's self (Mid-16th century). Equivalent to one + -self.

Teaching oneself to swim can be dangerous.

A person's self: general form of himself, herself, themself or yourself.

نَفْس

a person's self: general form of himself, herself, themself or yourself

break one's arm patting oneself on the back

create daylight between oneself and someone

put daylight between oneself and someone


itself

head

itself (the third person singular, neuter, personal pronoun, the reflexive form of it, masculine himself, feminine herself, gender-neutral themself, plural themselves)

en-pron

it (reflexive-of)
himself (masculine)
herself (feminine)
themself (gender-neutral)
themselves (plural)

From Middle English hit-self, equivalent to it + -self.

a house divided against itself cannot stand

The door closed by itself

(reflexive pronoun) it; A thing as the object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject

Beautie alone is a ſoveraigne remedy againſt feare,griefe,and all melancholy fits; a charm,as Peter de la Seine and many other writers affirme,a banquet it ſelfe;he gives inſtance in diſcontented Menelaus that was ſo often freed by Helenas faire face: and ʰTully, 3 Tusc. cites Epicurus as a chiefe patron of this Tenent.

1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 6, subsection iv, page 298:

The door itself is quite heavy.

(emphatic) it; used to intensify the subject, especially to emphasize that it is the only participant in the predicate

The oil by degrees gets covered with a curdy mass, which after some time settles to the bottom, while itself becomes limpid and colorless.

1842, Andrew Ure, A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines:

(emphatic, archaic) it; used to refer back to an earlier subject


herself

head

herself (the third person singular, feminine, personal pronoun, the reflexive form of she, masculine himself, neuter itself, gender-neutral singular themself or themselves, plural themselves)

en-pron

she (reflexive-of)
himself (masculine)
itself (neuter)
themself (gender-neutral singular)
themselves (gender-neutral singular)
themselves (plural)

From Middle English. Equivalent to her + -self.

She injured herself.

This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

(reflexive pronoun) Her; the female object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject.

She was injured herself.

(emphatic) She; an intensive repetition of the female subject, often used to indicate the exclusiveness of that person as the only satisfier of the predicate.

What's herself up to this time?

Have you seen herself yet this morning?

(Ireland) The subject or non-reflexive object of a predicate; she (used of upper-class ladies, or sarcastically, of women who imagine themselves to be more important than others)


myself

From Middle English myself, meself, from Old English mē selfum and similar phrases, equivalent to me + self, later partly reinterpreted as my + self / -self. Cognate with Scots mysel, mysell (“myself”), West Frisian mysels (“myself”), Dutch mijzelf (“myself”), German mich selbst, mir selbst (“myself”), Norwegian Bokmål meg selv (“myself”).

I taught myself.

Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ and if you don't look out there's likely to be some nice, lively dog taking an interest in your underpinning.”

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

(reflexive pronoun) Me, as direct or indirect object the speaker as the object of a verb or preposition, when the speaker is also the subject.

Personally, for my part; used in apposition to I, sometimes for simple emphasis and sometimes with implicit exclusion of any others performing the activity described.

I feel like myself.

Me (as the object of a verb or preposition).

And my selfe have knowen a Gentleman, a chiefe officer of our crowne, that by right and hope of succession (had he lived unto it) was to inherit above fifty thousand crownes a yeere good land[…].

1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 8, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

Myself am confident that an ointment of it is one of the best remedies for a scabby head that is.

1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged:

Myself John.

(India, Pakistan, nonstandard) my name is...


all

From Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz, of uncertain origin but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“beyond, other”). Cognate with West Frisian al (“all”), Dutch al (“all”), Scots a' (“all”), German all (“all”), Swedish all (“all”), Norwegian all (“all”), Icelandic allur (“all”), Welsh holl (“all”), Irish uile (“all”), Lithuanian aliái (“all, each, every”).
The dialectal sense “all gone” is a calque of German alle. The use in who all, where all etc. also has equivalents in German (see alles).

der

Some gave all they had.

She knows all and sees all.

Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do.

Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter III, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

A good time was had by all.

We all enjoyed the movie.

Hey all, just a quick note as I am trying to do 46 things at once and slow down a touch all at once…

2012 October 9, Amy Hauser, Tom Hauser, chapter 7, in Marge Thompson, Frankie M. Leisering, editors, In His Grip … a Walk Through Breast Cancer, WestBow Press, →ISBN, page 39:

All that was left was a small pile of ash.

We ate potatoes and ziti .... that's all.

Q. Now, then, when you started to go to stake the claims, who all went along?

1904 October 10, Shea v. Nilima, [US] Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 1905, Reports Containing the Cases Determined in All the Circuits from the Organization of the Courts, page 266

A. I and Johan Peter Johansen, Otto Greiner, and Thorulf Kjelsberg.

"I mean, you could have called us—collect, o'course—jes' to let us know how-all it's a-goin'."

1998, Paul D. Staudohar, editor, Football's Best Short Stories, section 107:

"Where all did he go? What exactly was his job?" Gary shrugged and produced a weak laugh. "I reckon the Middle East. Ain't that where all the oil is?"

2002, Richard Haddock, Arkalalah, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 73:

"Do you ever ask me what I want to see? Or ask me about where all I've gone, who all I've met, what all I've done? Never. Not for one second. And why? Because you don't give two hoops about me."

2011, Moni Mohsin, Tender Hooks, Random House India, →ISBN:

(chiefly Southern US, South Midland US, Midland US, Scotland, Northern Ireland, India) Used after who, what, where, how and similar words, either without changing their meaning, or indicating that one expects that they cover more than one element, e.g. that "Who all attended?" is more than one person. (Some dialects only allow this to follow some words and not others.)