they的词源

英文词源

they

they: [12] Like their and them, they was borrowed from Old Norse. Its source was their, the plural form of the demonstrative adjective sá, and it replaced the native Old English pronoun hīe.
=> their, them

they (pron.)

c. 1200, from a Scandinavian source (Old Norse þeir, Old Danish, Old Swedish þer, þair), originally masculine plural demonstrative pronoun, from Proto-Germanic *thai, nominative plural pronoun, from PIE *to-, demonstrative pronoun (see that). Gradually replaced Old English hi, hie, plurals of he, heo "she," hit "it" by c. 1400. Colloquial use for "anonymous people in authority" is attested from 1886. They say for "it is said" is in Milton.

The most important importation of this kind [from Scandinavian to English] was that of the pronomial forms they, them and their, which entered readily into the system of English pronouns beginning with the same sound (the, that, this) and were felt to be more distinct than the old native forms which they supplanted. Indeed these were liable to constant confusion with some forms of the singular number (he, him, her) after the vowels has become obscured, so that he and hie, him and heom, her (hire) and heora could no longer be kept easily apart. [Jespersen, "Growth and Structure of the English Language"]

中文词源

they：他们

来自中古英语 they,thei,来自古诺斯语 their,来自 Proto-Germanic*thai,复数指示代词，那些的， 来自 PIE*to,指示代词，词源同 this,that.

该词的英语词源请访问找单词词源英文版：they 词源，they 含义。

they：他们

来自中古英语 they,thei,来自古诺斯语 their,来自 Proto-Germanic*thai,复数指示代词，那些的， 来自 PIE*to,指示代词，词源同 this,that.