As a lifetime gamer, I know the intimate joy of side-by-side multiplayer conquests. My band of brothers in arms across endless campaigns – we few, we merry few. I call them friends, but in gaming years, we are family. As family, I not only know them – I know them deeply. Their hopes, fears, rage and calm.
In the heat of battle, such knowledge arises unspoken. Wordlessly, we move as one. Thrust, parry, hold, advance. Later by the pixelated campfire, are words needed either? Perhaps. But they must be the right words. Words to match the deeds – intimate but strong.
In English, no words consummate intimacy and strength like "thou", "thee", "thy" and "thine".
Across the evolution of English, these pronouns conveyed friendship and familiarity first informally, then with nuance around social rank. Their object forms granted poetic irony and rhetoric power. Their persistence in regional dialects reveals a rare linguistic lifeforce. Their judicious use today summons old souls and connections.
Come friends, let us explore the origin, evolution and stubborn persistence of this intimate linguistic bond across the generations…
What Do "Thou", "Thee", "Thy" and "Thine" Mean?
These terms are archaic second person personal pronouns:
- Thou – Second person subject pronoun (replaces "you" as subject)
- Thee – Second person object pronoun (replaces "you" as object)
- Thy/Thine – Second person possessive adjective (replaces "your")
Some examples:
- "Thou art a fearsome warrior"
- "I wield my sword against thee!"
- "Thy strength and courage is legend"
- "I admire thine bravery, dear gamer"
While quaint to modern ears, these pronouns carried additional meanings…
Conveying Intimacy and Status Through Time
The singular thou/thee/thy appeared in Old English around 700 AD as þū/þē/þīn, derived from Proto-Germanic roots. Initially it conveyed a peer-to-peer informality compared to the plural/formal ye/you.
By 1200 AD, thou/thee gained nuances of intimate familiarity in addition to peer informality. Writers used it for close friends and loved ones. It also became a way for social superiors to talk down to inferiors.
This complex intimacy/power interplay was on full display 400 years ago in Shakespeare‘s works. Friends, lovers, rivals and enemies address each other existentially with "thee" and "thou".
Consider Hamlet speaking to his traitorous uncle Claudius:
"thy deed must send thee there"
And Romeo to his beloved Juliet:
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:/ My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/ To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Beyond literature, "thee" and "thou" persisted in regional British dialects like Yorkshire and Lancashire, continuing to convey casual familiarity.
Even as "you" largely overtook "thee/thou" by 1700 AD, the archaic pronouns retained their unique rhetorical power and intimacy.
The Lifeforce of Archaic Pronouns
The singular thee/thou/thy endured for over 1,200 years in English literature, religious works and regional dialects because it occupies a unique emotional and linguistic space:
- Rhythm – One less syllable than "you"/"your"
- Intimacy and Power Differentials
- Evoking Antiquity and Heritage
- Literary and Religious Weight
The King James Bible and Shakespeare cemented "thee", "thou" and "thy" at the heart of the English linguistic heritage. Consider Christianity‘s most famous prayer:
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…"
In poetry and songs, substituting the metrically troublesome "you" with "thee" allows fitting iambic meter and rhyme schemes. Pop songs do this frequently even today.
According to neuroscience research, people process rhyme and rhythm differently – it taps into pleasure and emotional centers more directly in the brain. This may partly explain thee/thou‘s persistent charm.
"Thou" Usage Over Time
This chart visualizes the rise and fall of "thou" vs "you" in literature between 1200-2000 AD. After slowly rising, "thou" peaks around 1550 before declining again. But even now in the age of "you", "thou" persists in regional dialects and pops up in literature and religious works to echo intimate antiquity.
Beyond quaint nostalgia, invoking "thee" and "thou" amounts to a secret handshake across the years – a way to signal and conjure intimacy and linguistic heritage.
Proper Usage
When deliberately employing "thee", "thou", "thy" and "thine" for heightened poetic intimacy, make sure to:
- Conjugate verbs properly for second person singular (thou makes not thou make)
- Use thy before consonants and thine before vowels
- Substitute reflexively with thyself not yourself
- Follow rhyme schemes requiring one syllable where you has two
Now let‘s see examples of "thee", "thou" and "thy" referencing gaming relationships…
Gaming Bonds Old and New
The singular familiar thee/thou/thy aptly reflects gamer bonds in their intimacy and longevity. Whether it‘s the multi-year journey with EverQuest comrades or a lifelong real-world friend proving their worth again in the latest epic…
"Thou bringest honor to our clan with thy valor, noble warrior…"
Through Middle Earth and futuristic battlescapes we fight on together, binding our fate. The real-world years fade until we transcend generations:
"We few, we happy few, we band of gamers…"
With thee and thy we signal our familiarity across the battlefield and across the years. Our shared vernacular sets us apart, even as we partner with new allies.
So the next time a new gamer joins your crew for the endless campaign ahead, consider an archaic welcome:
"Welcome, friend! Thou art one of us now and I gift thee my finest war axe!"
Hear the rhythm, hear the antiquity – signaling a bond across the aeons. For in gaming, yesterday and tomorrow live as one. Glory and destiny await. Onward!
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…"