This is where English has done a very odd thing: instead of replacing the formal address with the familiar form, we've gotten rid of the familiar form and used the formal plural form, "you". (You've never wondered why "you" can indicate a single person, but still uses the pluralised form, "are"?) Check other European languages and you'll immediately see the parallels with the familiar form. Daniel and Shan have covered the variations pretty comprehensively I think! The only times we'd use this today is to imitate the "older" forms of English, usually for comic or dramatic effect.

Yes, you are right. These are old, archaic English words. These words belong to the Early and Medieval English Literature. These words were profusely used in Shakespearean Literature. We can trace them even in the Victorian Literature, especially in poetry, as late as end of 19th century or early 20th century. Thou = you (as a subject in the sentence) Thyself = yourself similar words: Thee = you (as an object in the sentence) Thine = yours Thy = your Some examples: Thou giveth me life to live. This life is thine. I offer my life to thee. Honour my life with thy blessings. We don't use these words anymore in everyday English. However they may still be used occasionally (very rare though!) in literature in the following situations: * while referring to the All Mighty (God) * while referring to a super superior and immensely powerful entity (Kings, Emperors etc.) In fact, we use these words quite often to address God in prayers and chants, even to this day. For example: "Oh! Lord, thou giveth me strength to survive." "Oh! Lord, You give me strength to survive" (modern English) Take special care of the strange form of the verb ('giveth') in this example. That is the usual style or rule, whatever you call it. Whenever "Thou" is used, the verb that follows turns into either "verb+th/eth" or "verb+st/est" in its past and present forms. Hope this information helps!!

This is not technically "Old English", but "Early Modern English". They are the archaic second person singular (similar to French "tu" and German "du"). The full declesion is: Nominative - thou Accusitive - thee Possesive - thy Genitve - thine Reflexive - thyself Starting about 500 years ago, these forms were gradually displaced by the plural second person forms (you, you, your, yours, yourself) in refering to both singular and plural. These words persist in modern memory due to their presence in literature (Shakespeare, King James Bible, most books over two hundred years old), but they are rarely used in modern speech.

Pronoun: thou usage: Archaic The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn or poetical style