: Historical Fiction: using you and thou Generally speaking, English once used 'you' as the second person plural (equivalent to 'vous' and 'vÃ³s') and 'thou' as the second person singular (equivalent

Generally speaking, English once used 'you' as the second person plural (equivalent to 'vous' and 'vÃ³s') and 'thou' as the second person singular (equivalent to 'tu'). When talking to a person in a higher position, one would use the polite 'you' rather than the informal 'thou'. Nevertheless, as time went by, the polite 'you' (nearly) erased 'thou' from existence and became a simple form of treatment without distinction between formal and informal.

I'm attempting to translate a historical novel set in medieval times. The use of the formal/polite 'vous'/'vÃ³s' often gives subtle but important cues for the plot, therefore I decided the simplest way of maintaining these cues would be to use 'thou' and 'you'.

Technically speaking, 'thou'='tu' and 'you'='vous'/'vÃ³s'. However, usage has caused modern speakers (I believe) to see 'thou' as more formal than 'you'.

Should I then translate 'vous'/'vÃ³s' as 'thou' and 'tu' as 'you'? And would that suffice to transmit to the English readers the aforementioned cues?

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@Pope4766717

If it was me, I'd distinguish by using "you all" for the plural form, which is a more modern way to do it.

However, I happen to live in a dialect area where "you all" is very common, so others might find that odd.

You could pick whichever one of the below second-person plurals most strikes your fancy:

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@Murphy332

...usage has caused modern speakers (I believe) to see 'thou' as more formal than 'you'.

I do not think so. It is not more formal, if anything, it is archaic, or literary, or both, but you definitely should not switch the actual single/plural meaning of the words, that would be very confusing. I suggest to use ye for the plural of thou to equalize the impact.

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: Historical Fiction: using you and thou Generally speaking, English once used 'you' as the second person plural (equivalent to 'vous' and 'vÃ³s') and 'thou' as the second person singular (equivalent

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