I. (|)thē, _thi pronoun, objective case of thou
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thē — more at thou
1. : thou: I
a. archaic — used especially in biblical, ecclesiastical, solemn, or poetical language, and to some extent in the speech of Friends especially among themselves, in contexts where the objective case form of an inflected pronoun is the one to be expected especially as indirect object of a verb
the land … which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee — Exod 13: 5 (Authorized Version)
or as personal object of an impersonal verb
do what seemeth thee good — 1 Sam 1: 23 (Authorized Version)
or as object of a preposition
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing — Samuel Francis Smith
or as direct object of a verb
I take thee at thy word — Shakespeare
b. — used by reputable writers occasionally from the 14th to the 17th centuries, in many British dialects down to the present day, and in the prevailing usage of the speech of Friends especially among themselves, in contexts where the nominative case form of an inflected pronoun is the one to be expected especially as subject of a verb
don't think I am afraid of such a fellow as thee art — Henry Fielding
or in the predicate after a form of the verb be
proud … that I am not thee — Shakespeare
— in the usage of Friends and in many British dialects usually accompanied by the third person singular form of a verb of which it is the subject
thee still thinks of going to Canada — Harriet B. Stowe
2. archaic : thyself — used reflexively as indirect object of a verb
get thee a sword — Shakespeare
or object of a preposition
when Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man — Te Deum Laudamus
or direct object of a verb
thou bearest thee like a king — Shakespeare
II. ˈthē noun
( -s )
: thou III
III. verb
( thee'd ; thee'd ; theeing ; thees )
transitive verb
: to address as thee
intransitive verb
: to use thee in address
IV. intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English theen, from Old English thēon; akin to Old High German dīhan to thrive, Gothic theihan to increase, progress — more at tight
obsolete : thrive , prosper
well mote ye thee — Edmund Spenser