Re: Use of 'thou'

[Sallie Montuori <foxdale@dakota.widomaker.com>]

Poster: Sallie Montuori <foxdale@dakota.widomaker.com>

Yes; the insulting part of using "thou" is implying an intimacy that
does not exist.  This intimacy is why the KJV Bible has you calling
the deity (pick a form, any form!) Thee and Thou -- the idea is, it's
just like your family.

   Alys of Foxdale           | Vert, on a fess between three trees
foxdale@dakota.widomaker.com |     argent, a fox passant gules.


On Tue, 23 Jul 1996 edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com wrote:

> 
> Poster: edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com
> 
> > And remember, the word 'thou' is always one of the strongest
> > insults to give to an equal, since in period it was usually
> > reserved for those lower in class than yourself.
> 
> I think perhaps you meant "the word 'thou' is sometimes
> somewhat insulting".
> 
> It's my understanding that addressing someone as "thou"
> in most of the Period was similar to the way addressing
> someone by the first name used to be: something you
> could automatically do to children and servants but
> could also do to equals or even superiors to signal a
> friendship or other close relationship.  (This is
> how "tu'" is regarded in modern Spanish.)
> 
> I believe that the King James Version of the Bible
> (written around 1600) has several examples of people
> using "Thou" to address entities they hold in very
> high regard.
> 
> -- Alfredo
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