Definition of these

The origin of the word "these" can be traced back to Old English, a language spoken around the year 1000 AD. The Old English word was "seos," which meant "those" as well as "these" in some contexts. Over time, the use of "seos" to mean "these" became more common due to the influence of Latin, the language spoken by scholars during the Middle Ages. The Latin word for "these" was "hæc" (feminine) or "haec" (neuter), which were sometimes used in Old English writing. By the Middle English period in the 1300s, "seos" had become "these," as we know it today, likely due to the loss of inflectional endings in the English language. This change allowed for greater consistency in pronunciation and usage, making the language more practical and easy to learn. The word "these" has remained relatively stable in English over the centuries, although its usage has evolved to suit modern English needs. For example, in contemporary English, the plural form of "this" is "these" rather than "thises," which was commonly used in earlier times. Nonetheless, the origins of "these" can still be seen in the similarity between the Old English word "seos" and the modern English pronunciation of "these."