The use of "thou" and its variants in religious discourse in Early Modern English

The paper explores the evolution of the personal pronoun "you" in the English language, highlighting its unique versatility in addressing multiple entities. It traces the historical usage of second-person pronouns from Old and Middle English, which included distinctions based on gender and number, to the Early Modern English period. During this time, "thou" was typically singular, while "ye" and "you" were plural. The transition to "you" as the dominant nominative form is examined, noting its eventual adoption for both singular and plural usage by the end of the Early Modern English era.