"How are thou feeling today?" Is that offensive to you?

[Boojatta]

If it isn't offensive, then we could popularize the word "thou" for the second person singular. There would be less motivation for some people to say "yous." The word "you" will indicate plural when there is a commonly used term for the singular.

By the way, can anyone explain why in the French language "vous" is considered more polite than "tu"? Is it wrong to draw attention to the fact that thou aren't some kind of sci-fi borg, but thou are precisely one person?

[YOY]

1. No but it makes me think I'm being talked to by a Amish person.

n.t.

[ThomWV]

4. Except one would never talk to you

Sometimes they will, but not because he (only a he) thought it was a good idea. Around here they refer to us (anybody who isn't them) as the English, they of course are the Dutch.

[YOY]

6. I've talked to a few.

I was always the instigator of the conversation though.

[geardaddy]

7. They aren't Dutch

They're German.

[FarCenter]

14. Germany is actually Deutschland

As in "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany

[geardaddy]

17. I know, that's what was correcting.

the Amish aren't Dutch they're German and Swiss.

[ThomWV]

58. I know, its just local names.

They really are a closed community, but not entirely. Of course you can talk with them, I do it all the time but mostly at farm auctions. They are certainly not "Dutch" but locally its just what they are called - its not meant to degrade, more a name of respect actually but only used in friendly banter. The same thing with the "English". Very few of the people who settled in this area came from England, and even fewer that did it in their first generation on this side of the pond. Still, and once again this is in friendly banter as you would hear at an auction or other public place, the names are often used.

[geardaddy]

63. Yeah.

I think the whole 'Dutch' thing came from them calling themselves 'Deutsch' and English-speaker not understanding.

Where I went to college in upstate NY there were a few farming families that were Amish. I never got a chance to talk to them.

[eShirl]

56. You're probably thinking of Quakers (who originated in 17th century England, btw)

even though most dropped the thou a few generations ago.

[Oregone]

2. The "yall" cult will be angry

[Posteritatis]

8. "thoull" is fun to say. (nt)

[FarCenter]

28. Do people who use "you'all" as the second person plural, use "you" as the singular?

[Oregone]

31. No, I think 'yall' is singular and 'yalls' is plural

Could be mistaken (its incredibly counter-intuitive if an improper contraction of a plural morphed into a singular). I haven't lived south of Mason-Dixon line in years. Maybe they are instead both interchangeable for the plural, and if they are just addressing a single person alone they say, "wanna buy some meth?"

[panzerfaust]

43. Texas Usage: "Y'All" (singular, or possibly, small group), "All Y'All" the always correct plural

Are all y'all gonna swing by my place and kill the pony {finish the small beer keg}?

Only a Yankee would say "Y'Alls"

[Oregone]

47. My college was dominated by southerners

(plurality of Texans)


I could of sworn I heard "y'alls" (maybe from back wards Georgian girls). Could be wrong. Who knows

[panzerfaust]

50. Texas is not really part of the south, it is a whole nother nation

Y'all ask Rick Perry (secessionist governor of our state) bout that.

[NeedleCast]

51. I lived in Texas 23 years and don't think I ever heard the word ya'lls

[Oregone]

54. Well I think there is a consensus that I must be mistaken

I haven't live in the south for about 8 years or so, and now Im learning a new dialect that consists of different ways to say "eh"

[sharp_stick]

49. I've also heard

"all y'all" to mean the plural and "all y'alls" to mean everyone.

[Oregone]

52. Don't forget...

'All y'all's allyalls' is to mean everyone's donkey.

[meegbear]

3. Why in the French language "vous" is considered more polite than "tu"?

http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/grammar/tu_and_vous.shtml

[slackmaster]

5. It doesn't offend me, but if I am feeling poorly I answer with brutal honesty

e.g. "I'm having some lower back pain, didn't get enough sleep last night, and my cat destroyed my computer monitor by barfing on it yesterday."

[FarCenter]

9. "thou are"?????

Shouldst thee use the second person singular pronoun, thou shalt also properly conjugate thy verbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou

[no_hypocrisy]

11. I really didn't get a grip on English grammar until I studied German.

Then the pronouns and grammar made sense to me.

[FarCenter]

21. Learning a foreign language requires a systematic study of the grammar

Which isn't really done for English in our schools. IIRC, English grammar was taught in dribs and drabs mixed in with other topics and never dealt with as a single topic in and of itself. As a result, you never get the big picture.

I'm not sure whethr studying a foreign language has the same effect when you start it in early elementary school? Possibly it is only if you take a foreign language later in your education.

[muriel_volestrangler]

46. ahem - "shouldst *thou*" ...

It's the subject of the phrase, so the nominative 'thou' is appropriate ... :evilgrin:

[LeftHander]

10. my constitution is un-constitutional....

thanks to current SCOTUS.

[HeresyLives]

12. I'd do almost anything to get rid of 'youze'. Heh.

And I wouldn't be offended by 'thou'. I edge away from the person as soon as possible, but that's another story.

In French 'tu' is for family and friends, 'vous' for all others.

[geardaddy]

20. How about "yinz"?

:D

[HeresyLives]

23. Both are cringe-inducing!

:)

[geardaddy]

29. lol

Yep!

[thereismore]

13. In Shakespeare's plays, "thou" means informal you as in between friends or lovers,

or from a master to a servant. A "you" is formal - as in from servant to a master.

[notadmblnd]

15. you can do what ever you want if you don't mind people looking at you

like you just landed on the planet.

[HeresyLives]

26. Good point!

Shakespeare would stand out like a sore thumb.

[Jkid]

16. Offensive? No.

[MorningGlow]

18. Yes, I find it offensive

But only because it should be "How ART thou feeling today?" :evilgrin:

[Jim__]

19. I prefer yous to thou. - n/t

[UndertheOcean]

22. Did your mother drop you when you were a baby ? n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

32. No, no, no.

It's "Didst thy mother drop thou when thou wert an infant?"

[FarCenter]

37. It's "Didst thy mother drop thee when thou wert an infant?"

[RaleighNCDUer]

40. 'Tis my bad, methinks. nt

[FrenchieCat]

24. Vous is formal and indicates speaking to/of someone who one is not familiar with....

"Tu" is when speaking to/of those one is familiar with.

Upon meeting someone for the first time, Vous is used in addressing such a person,
as that is the respectful way of speaking to anyone other than children, one's family
and friends. Normally at some point, one might ask the other if it would be ok for them to
be more familiar in addressing them.....and so, they might ask...

"Je peux vous tutoyer?"

meaning "Can I use "tu" when addressing you?"

It's just the way that it is.

[gratuitous]

25. "Vous" is the more formal

In French, "vous" is second person plural, but is used as a second person singular with someone you are on a more formal basis. This could be a stranger on the street, your boss or a teacher, or someone to whom you've just been introduced. "Tu" is second person singular, but is used for persons with whom you are familiar or friendly. This would be your friend, spouse or your boss (once you've worked for that person for some time). It is also used by an adult with a child or pet.

[L0oniX]

27. "fuckest thy self" is offensive.

[FarCenter]

30. Isn't that "fuckst thou thy self"?

Or can the subject still be implied in an imperative when using the second person singular?

[Boojatta]

35. Why do I have to start a thread to see this kind of stuff?

Like graffiti, it includes profanity, but for some reason I've never seen graffiti like the message thou have written.

[Ecumenist]

33. No, not at all. Now, if you were to say something like,

"Bitch, you still alive"...PROBLEM.

[Swede]

34. "Why does yee ask?"

:shrug:

[panzerfaust]

38. Umm: Why asketh thee? or Why dost thou ask?

"dost" - Second person singular simple present form of "do"

[panzerfaust]

36. Well, Yes: For it should be "How ART THOU ..."

I think that the Society of Friends ("Quakers" - the only religious group to disown one of their believers when he was president) still uses these older forms.

Some of the Anabaptist derived groups (Amish, Mennonites, etc) may as well - though truly I do not know.

Pray thee Godspeed on thy quest of a more genteel tongue.

[FarCenter]

41. Apparently, the King James version of the Bible isn't much used anymore

[panzerfaust]

48. Not in Rome at least.

[FarCenter]

53. Yes, there is still some lingering tension over the recent unpleasantness of the Reformation

Well perhaps in another 4 centuries things will blow over.

Although the schism with Orthodoxy dates from 1054.

These things take time.

[muriel_volestrangler]

45. Thank you

Stand up for grammar, even if it's archaic! :D

[pipi_k]

64. Renaissance Yoda would say: "Thou art feeling today how?"

From what I know of him, I mean...

:7

[Xenotime]

39. "thou" implies religion.

[FarCenter]

44. Not really, it just seems that way

It is only because the King James version of the Bible, first published in 1611, continued in use until well into the 20th century. But the second person singular was used in secular contexts when the translation was made.

[The2ndWheel]

42. Extraordinarily offensive

I'm so filled with rage right now, I can't even

[galileoreloaded]

55. This might be the most important thread posted here today....congrats!!

[bridgit]

57. "offensive"!? It pisses me off! Its s'pose to be, "How *art* thou this Godly Day Sister Goodie...

bridgit :rant:

[onenote]

59. "a jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou "-- is that offensive to you?

[MineralMan]

60. It's offensive to me. It should be "How art thou feeling today?"

If you don't get the grammar right, it will offend any decent English-speaker.

[Edweird]

61. Offended? No. Amused? Maybe. "Dude the Renaissance festival was last month".

[Bluebear]

62. Prythee, is the Renaissance faire starting?

[Boojatta]

65. Kick