Thou address to rank addressed as intimacy speaker

Text	Thou A speaker could use the familiar thou to address their social inferiors or to indicate friendship and intimacy. When some one of high rank addressed someone of lower rank (King to subject, parent to child, husband to wife, teacher to student), they would use thou. The subjects, children, wives, and students — on the other hand — would address their betters as you. The hierarchical use of thou made it an excellent way to put someone in their place, condescending to or insulting them. Calling someone thou, implied — all by itself — that they were inferior. But thou could express intimacy as well as superiority. Close friends, romantic partners, husbands and wives (in private) would all use thou to address each other. Speakers also addressed God as thou, signaling a deep spiritual intimacy between the believer and the deity.

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Thou

A speaker could use the familiar thou to address their social inferiors or to indicate friendship and intimacy.

When some one of high rank addressed someone of lower rank (King to subject, parent to child, husband to wife, teacher to student), they would use thou. The subjects, children, wives, and students — on the other hand — would address their betters as you.

The hierarchical use of thou made it an excellent way to put someone in their place, condescending to or insulting them. Calling someone thou, implied — all by itself — that they were inferior.

But thou could express intimacy as well as superiority. Close friends, romantic partners, husbands and wives (in private) would all use thou to address each other.

Speakers also addressed God as thou, signaling a deep spiritual intimacy between the believer and the deity.

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