YOU


Meaning of YOU in English

/yooh/ ; unstressed /yoo, yeuh/ , pron., poss. your or yours , obj. you , pl. you; n. , pl. yous .

pron.

1. the pronoun of the second person singular or plural, used of the person or persons being addressed, in the nominative or objective case: You are the highest bidder. It is you who are to blame. We can't help you. This package came for you. Did she give you the book?

2. one; anyone; people in general: a tiny animal you can't even see.

3. (used in apposition with the subject of a sentence, sometimes repeated for emphasis following the subject): You children pay attention. You rascal, you!

4. Informal. (used in place of the pronoun your before a gerund): There's no sense in you getting upset.

5. Archaic.

a. yourself; yourselves: Get you home. Make you ready.

b. a pl. form of the pronoun ye .

n.

6. something or someone closely identified with or resembling the person addressed: Don't buy the bright red shirt - it just isn't you. It was like seeing another you.

7. the nature or character of the person addressed: Try to discover the hidden you.

[ bef. 900; ME; OE eow (dat., acc. of ge YE 1 ); c. OFris ju, OS iu, D u, OHG iu, eu ]

Usage . In American English the pronoun YOU has been supplemented by additional forms to make clear the distinction between singular and plural. YOU-ALL, often pronounced as one syllable, is a widespread spoken form in the South Midland and Southern United States. Its possessive is often you-all's rather than your. YOU-UNS (from you + ones ) is a South Midland form most often found in uneducated speech; it is being replaced by YOU-ALL.

YOUSE ( you + the plural -s ending of nouns), probably of Irish-American origin, is most common in the North, especially in urban centers like Boston, New York, and Chicago. It is rare in educated speech. You guys is a common informal expression among younger speakers; it can include persons of both sexes or even a group of women only. See also me .

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .