answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

English no longer uses the second person familiar pronoun ("thou" in the nominative case), so we've also lost the proper verb conjugations that went with it.

"Art" is the present tense conjugation of the verb "to be" when used with "thou." I am, thou art, he/she/it is, and so forth.

Modern English uses the second person plural or formal pronoun ("you") exclusively in situations where "thou" (or the dative case equivalent, "thee") would have been used in Elizabethan or Jacobian times (and even by then, it was regarded as a bit of an affectation; the King James translation of The Bible, which was as might be guessed from the name produced in the Jacobian era, deliberatedly used a style that was rather archaic even by the standards of the times).

In other words, translated into modern English, "thou art" = "you are".

There are a few peculiar modern dialects of English that have retained the second person familar. Sort of. But this is definitely an affectation, and many of them do it "wrong" by Jacobean standards (among other things, they tend to use "thee" even in the nominative case, and with the verbs conjugated for third person pronouns, eg "Thee is").

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What does art in thou art mean?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What does where art thou from the movie o brother where art thou mean?

"Where are you".


What does where art thou mean?

"Where art thou" means "where are you." The use of the word "thou" indicates the speaker is asking someone who is on friendly, informal terms with him, or her.


What does Thou shalt not ask odds thou art unwilling to give mean?

Hi


What does where art mean?

"Where art thou" means "where are you." The use of the word "thou" indicates the speaker is asking someone who is on friendly, informal terms with him, or her.


What does who art you mean?

It is an old way of saying "Who are you?" It would have been in the form "Who art thou?"


What does what thou art promis'd mean?

Thou means you. Art promis'd means are promised, as in promised to a future spouse. This phrase means that the person is engaged for marriage.


How many pages does Thou Art That - book - have?

"Thou Art That" by Joseph Campbell has 160 pages in its paperback edition.


What does how art thou mean in old English?

"How art thou" is an old-fashioned way of asking "How are you?" in Old English. It is a formal or poetic way of inquiring about someone's well-being.


What does it mean where art thou?

"Where art thou" is an archaic way of asking "where are you" in English literature, often associated with Shakespearean language. It is used to inquire about someone's location or whereabouts.


When was Thou Art Lord created?

Thou Art Lord was created in 1993.


What is the Scottish translation for of earthly joys thou art my choice?

thou art = you are


The lord said thou art my?

In modern English, 'thou art my' means 'you are mine.'