From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!houxi!ihnss!michael
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: English language
Article-I.D.: ihnss.3422
Posted: Fri May 14 11:25:33 1982
Received: Sat May 15 01:02:29 1982

Besides a singular form for social equals and inferiors (thee), English also
had a corresponding plural form -- ye.  "You" was used strictly to denote
respect.

In Spanish, "thee" corresponds to "tu," "ye" corresponds to "vosotros," and
"you" corresponds to "usted" and "ustedes."  "Vosotros" has already gone the
way of "ye" in most Spanish-speaking countries.  A couple of summers ago I
was speaking to some Spaniards on a Spanish train.  They were bemoaning a
trend of using "usted" to the exclusion of the familiar "tu," since such
unrestricted use removes any connotation of respect.  So the Spanish "tu"
may well go the way of "thou."
					Mike Morgan