Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þai

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /θɑi̯/

Etymology

From demonstrative root *þa- with plural suffix *-i, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tóy. Compare *twai (“two”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ with same suffix.

Determiner

*þai

they; those; nominative plural masculine of *sa

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *þai
- Old English: þā
  - Middle English: tha, tho; thas, thos
    - Scots: tha, thai; thais
    - English: tho; those
- Old Frisian: thā
  - Saterland Frisian: do
  - West Frisian: dy
- Old Saxon: thē
  - Middle Low German: dê
    - German Low German: de
- Old Dutch: thie
  - Middle Dutch: die
    - Dutch: die
- Old High German: dē, dea, dia, die
  - Middle High German: dē, die
    - German: die
Proto-Norse: *ᚦᚨᛁᛉ (*þaiʀ)
- Old Norse: þeir, ᚦᛅᛁᛦ (þaiʀ) — early Common Nordic, ᚦᛅᛁᚱ (þair), ᚦᛂᛁᚱ (þeir) — after merger of r and ʀ, occurring by the 800s in West Norse and late 1000s in East Norse, ᚦᛂᚱ (þer), ᚦᛂᛦ (þeʀ), ᚦᛁᚱ (þir), ᚦᛁᛦ (þiʀ) — after East Norse monophthongization, starting in the mid 900s in Denmark, ᚦᛅ (þa), ᚦᛅᛁᛘ (þaim) — Common Nordic, ᚦᛂᛁᛘ (þeim) — after invention of stung runes, ᚦᛂᛘ (þem), ᚦᛁᛘ (þim) — after East Norse monophthongization, ᚦᛅᛁᚱᛅ (þaira), ᚦᛅᛁᛦᛅ (þaiʀa), ᚦᛂᛁᚱᛅ (þeira), ᚦᛂᛁᛦᛅ (þeiʀa), ᚦᛂᚱᛅ (þera), ᚦᛂᛦᛅ (þeʀa), ᚦᛁᚱᛅ (þira), ᚦᛁᛦᛅ (þiʀa)
  - Icelandic: þeir
  - Faroese: teir
  - Norwegian Nynorsk: dei
  - Jamtish: di
  - Elfdalian: dier
  - Old Swedish: þēr, the, þir, thi
    - Swedish: de, (archaic) the, dhe (dialectal) di, da
  - Old Danish: þhe, the
    - Danish: de
    - Norwegian Bokmål: de
  - Old Gutnish: þar
    - Gutnish: dair, di
  - → Middle English: thei, they
    - Scots: they
    - English: they
Gothic: 𐌸𐌰𐌹 (þai)