ye

Ye is a historical English pronoun used for the second person, roughly equivalent to "you" in modern English. In Early Modern English, ye commonly functioned as the plural second-person address and, in some dialects, as a polite singular. The singular informal form thou persisted in some contexts but gradually declined as you came to serve for both numbers and social levels. By the 18th century, ye had largely fallen from everyday speech, surviving mainly in archaic or stylized writing and in religious or literary contexts.

Origin and spelling notes: Ye developed in the Middle English period as an alternative form of the second-person pronoun. The form coexisted with thou for informal singular address. Over time, you generalized for both singular and plural use, and ye declined in ordinary speech.

Ye olde and the thorn misconception: The phrase ye olde, common on signage, is often presented as the archaic form of "you." In fact, it is typically a misreading or stylized rendering of the definite article "the" written with the thorn letter (þ) in Old English. Early printers using thorn sometimes substituted "y" for thorn, giving the appearance of "ye." The correct interpretation of the sign is "the olde shoppe."

Modern usage: Today, ye survives mainly in historical or literary contexts and in decorative or humorous signage intended to evoke an archaic tone. It is not used in standard contemporary English except as a stylistic choice from authors or in discussions of language history.