They vs. Thay
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They
They is the third-person plural personal pronoun (subjective case) in Modern English. It can also be used with singular meaning, particularly in informal contexts, sometimes to avoid specifying the gender of the person referred to.
They (pronoun)
A group of people, animals, plants{{,}} or objects previously mentioned. since the 1200s
"Fred and Jane? They just arrived."
"Dogs may bark if they want to be fed."
"Plants wilt if they are not watered."
"I have a car and a truck, but they are both broken."
They (pronoun)
A single person, previously mentioned, especially if of unknown or non-binary gender, but not if previously named and identified as male or female. since the 1300s
They (pronoun)
People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.
"They say it’s a good place to live."
"They didn’t have computers in the old days."
"They should do something about this."
"They have a lot of snow in winter."
They (pronoun)
There especially as an expletive subject of be. from 19th c.
They (determiner)
The, those. from 14th c.
They (determiner)
Their. from 19th c.
They (pronoun)
used to refer to two or more people or things previously mentioned or easily identified
"the two men could get life sentences if they are convicted"
They (pronoun)
people in general
"the rest, as they say, is history"
They (pronoun)
people in authority regarded collectively
"they cut my water off"
They (pronoun)
used to refer to a person of unspecified gender
"ask a friend if they could help"
They
The plural of he, she, or it. They is never used adjectively, but always as a pronoun proper, and sometimes refers to persons without an antecedent expressed.
