they : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: they	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for they
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
She \She\, pron. [sing. nom. {She}; poss. {Her}. or {Hers}; obj. {Her}; pl. nom. {They}; poss. {Their}or {Theirs}; obj. {Them}.] [OE. she, sche, scheo, scho, AS. se[a2], fem. of the definite article, originally a demonstrative pronoun; cf. OS. siu, D. zij, G. sie, OHG. siu, s[c6], si, Icel. s[umac], sj[be], Goth. si she, s[omac], fem. article, Russ. siia, fem., this, Gr. [?], fem. article, Skr. s[be], sy[be]. The possessive her or hers, and the objective her, are from a different root. See {Her}.] 1. This or that female; the woman understood or referred to; the animal of the female sex, or object personified as feminine, which was spoken of. She loved her children best in every wise. --Chaucer. Then Sarah denied, . . . for she was afraid. --Gen. xviii. 15. 2. A woman; a female; -- used substantively. [R.] Lady, you are the cruelest she alive. --Shak. Note: She is used in composition with nouns of common gender, for female, to denote an animal of the female sex; as, a she-bear; a she-cat.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
They \They\ ([th][amac]), pron. pl.; poss. {Theirs}; obj. {Them}. [Icel. [thorn]eir they, properly nom. pl. masc. of s[be], s[umac], [thorn]at, a demonstrative pronoun, akin to the English definite article, AS. s[c7], se[a2], [edh][91]t, nom. pl. [edh][be]. See {That}.] The plural of he, she, or it. They is never used adjectively, but always as a pronoun proper, and sometimes refers to persons without an antecedent expressed. Jolif and glad they went unto here [their] rest And casten hem [them] full early for to sail. --Chaucer. They of Italy salute you. --Heb. xiii. 24. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. --Matt. v. 6. Note: They is used indefinitely, as our ancestors used man, and as the French use on; as, they say (French on dit), that is, it is said by persons not specified.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
He \He\ (h[emac]), pron. [nom. {He}; poss. {His} (h[icr]z); obj. {Him} (h[icr]m); pl. nom. {They} ([th][amac]); poss. {Their} or {Theirs} ([th][acir]rz or [th][amac]rz); obj. {Them} ([th][ecr]m).] [AS. h[?], masc., he[a2], fem., hit, neut.; pl. h[c6], or hie, hig; akin to Ofries. hi, D. hij, OS. he, hi, G. heute to-day, Goth. himma, dat. masc., this, hina, accus. masc., and hita, accus. neut., and prob. to L. his this. [root]183. Cf. {It}.] 1. The man or male being (or object personified to which the masculine gender is assigned), previously designated; a pronoun of the masculine gender, usually referring to a specified subject already indicated. Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. --Gen. iii. 16. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve. --Deut. x. 20. 2. Any one; the man or person; -- used indefinitely, and usually followed by a relative pronoun. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. --Prov. xiii. 20. 3. Man; a male; any male person; -- in this sense used substantively. --Chaucer. I stand to answer thee, Or any he, the proudest of thy sort. --Shak. Note: When a collective noun or a class is referred to, he is of common gender. In early English, he referred to a feminine or neuter noun, or to one in the plural, as well as to noun in the masculine singular. In composition, he denotes a male animal; as, a he-goat.