'em

See also Appendix:Variations of "em"

English

Etymology

Earlier hem, from Old English him, heom, originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well.

Pronunciation

• enPR: əm, IPA: /əm/, /m̩/, /ɪm/, SAMPA: /@m/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Pronoun

'em

1. (now colloquial) Them (typically after a preposition, or otherwise with accusative or dative force; now only in unstressed position).
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book XVI:

     ‘Lette hem be,’ seyde Sir Gawayne, ‘for they foure have no peerys.’

   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night:

     Some are become great, some atcheeues greatnesse, and some haue greatnesse thrust vppon em.

   • 2010, John Baron, The Guardian, 3 Dec 2010:

     We've literally had dozens of your photographs submitted this week - keep ’em coming!

Derived terms

• hold ’em, Texas hold ’em
• shoot-’em-up
• stick ’em up

See also

• 'er
• 'im
• 'um

Anagrams

• me, ME, Me.