讚美詩：古字 thou thee thy thine

      有人問說讚美詩裡怎麼有些字沒看過，查字典也查不到？thou/ thee/ thy/ thine其實那些是古英文的用法，把幾個重點記起來，唱詩時腦筋跟著轉一轉，就沒有問題了！

1.   代名詞---第二人稱單數you

a.   主格 thou例句: Thou art beautiful.
(=You[單] are beautiful.)

b.   受格 thee例句: Mary liketh thee.
(=Mary likes you[單].)

c.    所有格 thy (+子音開頭的字)例句: Thy hair is like silk.
(=Your[單] hair is like silk.)

d.   所有格 thine (+母音開頭的字)例句: I love thine eyes.
(=I love your[單] eyes.)

e.   所有受格 thine例句: Is this thine?
(=Is this yours[單]?)

2.   代名詞---第二人稱複數you

a.   主格 ye例句: Congratulations to all of ye!
(=Congratulations to all of you[複]!)

b.   受格 you (同現代英語)例句: You art welcome.
(=You[複] are welcome.)

c.    所有受格 yours (同現代英語)例句: Our country’s football team playeth better than yours.
(=Our country’s football team plays better than yours[複].)

3.   動詞

a.   第二人稱單數, 時態變化後+(e)st

例句: Thou makest me feel happy.
(=You make me feel happy.)

例句: Thou singest like a bird.
(=You sing like a bird.)

例句: Thou toldest a great story.
(=You told a great story.)

b.   第三人稱單數, 時態變化後+(e)th

例句: He maketh me feel happy.
(=He makes me feel happy.)

例句: He singeth like a bird.
(=He sings like a bird.)

例句: He toldeth a great story.
(=He told a great story.)

4.   動詞例外

a.   Be動詞

第二人稱現在式 art

例句: Thou art beautiful.
(=You are beautiful.)

第二人稝過去式 wert

例句: Thou wert the tallest in the class before.
(=You were the tallest in the class before.)

b.   Have

第二人稱現在式 hast

例句: Thou hast to go to the church every Sunday.
(=You have to go to the church every Sunday.)

第三人稱現在式 hath

例句: She hath the longest hair in her family.
(=She has the longest hair in her family.)

c.   Do

第二人稱現在式 dost

例句: Thou dost thy best.
(=You do your best.)

第三人稱現在式 doth

例句: The old man doth not know what to do.
(=The old man does not know what to do.)

另外, 也可以參考列網址提供的各種代名詞, 古英文(Archaic English) vs.現代英文(Modern English)的對照表:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_personal_pronouns