þau

See also: yau, thau, tháu, thău, thâu, thấu, and thầu

Gothic

Romanization

þau

1. romanization of 𐌸𐌰𐌿

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θøːy̯/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): [ðøy̯]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -øyː

Pronoun

þau n pl

1. (personal pronoun) they (referring to a mixed male/female group), nominative plural of það (“it”)

   Þau eru skemmtileg

   They are fun.

   Þau elska þau.

   They love them.

2. (personal pronoun) them (referring to a mixed male/female group), accusative plural of það (“it”)

   Hver heldurðu að hafi myrt þau?

   Who do you suppose killed them?

   Þau elska þau

   They love them.

See also

Icelandic personal pronouns

singular	first person	second person	third person
			masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ég, eg, ek†	þú	hann	hún, hon†, hón†	það, þat†
accusative	mig, mik†	þig, þik†	hann	hana	það, þat†
dative	mér	þér	honum, hánum†	henni	því
genitive	mín	þín	hans	hennar	þess
plural	first person	second person	third person
			masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	við	þið, þit†	þeir	þær	þau
accusative	okkur	ykkur	þá	þær	þau
dative	okkur	ykkur	þeim	þeim	þeim
genitive	okkar	ykkar	þeirra	þeirra	þeirra

^† Archaic. See also honorific pronouns.

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• ᚦᛅᚢ (þau)
• ᚦᛅᚢᚾ (þaun) — Old East Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þō (“they, those”), plural neuter of *sa (“that”). Cognate with Old English þā, Old Saxon thē, Old High German diu, Gothic 𐌸𐍉 (þō).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θɑu̯/

Pronoun

þau

1. they, them (third-person nominative and accusative plural neuter personal pronoun)
2. those (nominative and accusative plural neuter demonstrative pronoun)

Declension

Old Norse personal pronouns

singular	first person	second person	reflexive	third person
				masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ek	þú	—	hann	hon, hón, hǫ́n	þat
accusative	mik	þik	sik	hann	hana, hána	þat
dative	mér	þér	sér	hánum, hónum, hǫ́num	henni	því
genitive	mín	þín	sín	hans	hennar	þess
dual	first person	second person	reflexive
nominative	vit	it, þit	—
accusative	okkr	ykkr	sik
dative	okkr	ykkr	sér
genitive	okkar	ykkar	sín
plural	first person	second person	reflexive	third person
				masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	vér	ér, þér	—	þeir	þær	þau
accusative	oss	yðr	sik	þá	þær	þau
dative	oss	yðr	sér	þeim	þeim	þeim
genitive	vár	yðar, yðvar	sín	þeira, þeirra	þeira, þeirra	þeira, þeirra

Old Norse demonstrative pronouns

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	sá	sú	þat
accusative	þann	þá	þat
dative	þeim	þeirri	því, þí
genitive	þess	þeirrar	þess
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	þeir	þær	þau
accusative	þá	þær	þau
dative	þeim	þeim	þeim
genitive	þeira, þeirra	þeira, þeirra	þeira, þeirra

Descendants

• Icelandic: þau
• Faroese: tey
• Old Swedish: þø̄n, þø̄
• Old Gutnish: þaun