'em

See also: Appendix:Variations of "em"

English

Etymology

From earlier hem, from Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative) of hie, originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. Cognate with Dutch hun (“them”), German ihnen (“them”).

Now often treated as a form of them, which however derives from Old Norse rather than Old English.

Pronunciation

• enPR: əm, IPA^(key): /əm/, /m̩/, /ɪm/

• Audio (US)

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Pronoun

'em

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

     Truly said sire Ector I can not here of hym nor of syr Galahad / Percyuale nor syr Bors / lete hem be sayd syre Gawayne / for they foure haue no pyeres

   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night:

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

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting ’em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.

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

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

Derived terms

• beat 'em up
• hold 'em, Texas hold 'em
• shoot 'em up
• stick 'em up
• up and at 'em

See also

• 'er
• 'im
• 'um

Anagrams

• -me-, ME, Me, Me., me