Defn: The plural of the pronoun of the second person in the
nominative case.
Ye ben to me right welcome heartily. Chaucer.
But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. 1 Cor. vi. 11.
This would cost you your life in case ye were a man. Udall.
Note: In Old English ye was used only as a nominative, and you only as a dative or objective. In the 16th century, however, ye and you became confused and were often used interchangeably, both as nominatives and objectives, and you has now superseded ye except in solemn or poetic use. See You, and also the first Note under Thou. Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye. Shak. I come, kind gentlemen, strange news to tell ye. Dryden.
YE
Ye, adv. Etym: [See Yea.]
Defn: Yea; yes. [Obs.] Chaucer.
YEA
Yea (ya or ye; 277), adv. Etym: [OE. ye, ya, ýe, ýa, AS. geá; akin to
OFries. g, i, OS., D., OHG., G., Dan. & Sw. ja, Icel, ja, Goth. ja,
jai, and probably to Gr. Yes.]
1. Yes; ay; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative, or an affirmative answer to a question, now superseded by yes. See Yes. Let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay. Matt. v. 37.
2. More than this; not only so, but; — used to mark the addition of a more specific or more emphatic clause. Cf. Nay, adv., 2. I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Phil. i. 18.
Note: Yea sometimes introduces a clause, with the sense of indeed, verily, truly. "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden" Gen. iii. 1.
YEA
Yea, n.
Defn: An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative; as, a vote by yeas and nays.