Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *þaimaz
Old Norse þeimbor.
Middle English þem
English them
From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.
Meanings
(dialectal) Those.
The world 'as got me snouted jist a treat; / Crool Forchin's dirty left 'as smote me soul. / An' all them joys o' life I 'eld so sweet / Is up the pole. 1915, C.J. Dennis, The Songs of the Sentimental Bloke, published 1916, page 13:
Gimme two of them yellow ones.
How would you like a scrummage, Andy, with them Scotchmen that stole your mother's chickens this morning? 1835, John Pendleton Kennedy, Horse Shoe Robinson: A Tale of the Tory Ascendency:
"I say it's a shame, Silas Linden, the way them children is treated." 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
"[…] Them two wild horses ain't fit to ride, and I been wonderin' how I was goin' to get you out of this place before them Spanish maybe circle back and finish the job." 2005, Elmer Kelton, Sons of Texas, Tor/Forge, page 111:
America you don’t really want to go to war.
America it's them bad Russians.
Them Russians them Russians and them Chinamen. And them Russians. 1956, Allen Ginsberg, “America”, in Howl and Other Poems (Pocket Poets Series), City Lights Books, →OCLC, page 33:
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *þaimaz
Old Norse þeimbor.
Middle English þem
English them
From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.
Meanings
(in-plural, personal, pronoun, third-person) Those ones. ▸ Used as the direct object of a verb.
Proponents of adding a gender-neutral option to state identification documents say it would remove a form of discrimination against nonbinary people by providing them with the means to carry identification that matches their identity. 2019 May 29, Amy Harmon, “Which Box Do You Check? Some States Are Offering a Nonbinary Option”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2019:
She treated them for a cold.
(in-plural, personal, pronoun, third-person) Those ones. ▸ Used as the indirect object of a verb.
She wrote them a letter.
(in-plural, personal, pronoun, third-person) Those ones. ▸ Used as the object of a preposition.
Give it to them.
(colloquial, in-plural, nonstandard, personal, pronoun, third-person, uncommon) Those ones. ▸ As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction.
Them and the boys went to live with Auntie Madge and Uncle Herbie when Miss Violet died. 2021 June 10, Yvonne Bailey-Smith, The Day I Fell Off My Island, Myriad Editions, →ISBN:
[…]Illinois, told Christina Holmes Tillson (just arrived from Connecticut herself) : “I am getting skeery about them 'ere Yankees. There is such a power of them coming in that them and the Injuns will squatch out [everyone else]. 2006 September 27, David Ress, Governor Edward Coles and the Vote to Forbid Slavery in Illinois, 1823-1824, McFarland, →ISBN, page 64:
[...] and now them and the Goo Goo Dolls are playing together.
(in-plural, personal, pronoun, third-person) Those ones. ▸ Used in isolation or apposition, or (sometimes proscribed) as the complement of the copula (be).
Who did this? —Them. They did it. (or:) It was them. They did it.)
Who did that? —(It was) not them: I was watching them the whole time.
Who was there? —Them.
(personal, pronoun, qualifier:occasionally proscribed, singular, third-person) A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary. ▸ Used as the direct object of a verb.
Someone in the crowd around the lifts called sycophantically, ‘Morning, Yaxley!’ Yaxley ignored them. 2007, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, London: Bloomsbury, 2008, →ISBN, page 270:
Place the casualty on their back with feet and legs raised—this is called the shock position. [emphasis in original] Once the casualty is positioned, cover them to preserve body heat, but do not overheat. 2006, St. John Ambulance, First on the Scene: Student Reference Guide, →ISBN, Lesson 2, page 3:
If a student has an inappropriate question, whatever you do, do not berate them.
If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, […] [t]hen shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 17:2–5:
(personal, pronoun, qualifier:occasionally proscribed, singular, third-person) A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary. ▸ Used as the indirect object of a verb.
If one of my patients calls, please bring them their dinner.
(personal, pronoun, qualifier:occasionally proscribed, singular, third-person) A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary. ▸ Used as the object of a preposition.
If someone comes and asks for the ticket, just give it to them.
Each adolescent girl with ASD has needs specific to her because each of them has variable characteristics and different degrees of sensory and perceptual difficulties. 2024 July 2, Rukiye Arslan, Derya Yanık, Raziye Pekşen Akça, “Investigation of Menstrual Hygiene and Self-Care Skills of Adolescent Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mother Views”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, →DOI:
(colloquial, nonstandard, personal, pronoun, qualifier:occasionally proscribed, singular, third-person, uncommon) A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary. ▸ As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction.
"[…] he said that everybody was being watched, and if they seen anybody giving Union cards to anybody on Company property, that them and the person receiving the card, they would both be fired. 1969, United States. National Labor Relations Board, Decisions and Orders of the National Labor Relations Board, page 82:
(personal, pronoun, qualifier:occasionally proscribed, singular, third-person) A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary. ▸ Used in isolation or apposition, or (sometimes proscribed) as the complement of the copula (be).
Who did this? —Them. They did it. (or:) It was them. They did it.)
Who did that? —(It was) not them: I was watching them the whole time.
Who was there? —Them.
(dialectal, personal, pronoun, qualifier:informal set phrases, third-person) They or those.
I know it seems unfair, but them's the rules.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 1611, King James Bible:
‘Ah - them was the days,’ Windy murmured, and slid two bob across the bar. 1960, J. E. Macdonnell, Don't Gimme the Ships, Melbourne: Horwitz Publications, page 25:
fi hänet (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · pt lhes (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · mi rātou (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fr leur (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es les (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es a ellas (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro lor (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pl je (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ru им (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es le (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · zu bona (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · dsb je (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es los (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sq ata (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi heillä (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar إيَّاهُمَا (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · hy նրանց (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cs jim (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pih dem (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · az onlarsız (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sq atyre (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sv hen (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · zu yona (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi niille (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es las (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · io li (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sk im (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fr les (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · az onları (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pt as (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar إِيَّاهُم (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · mi rāua (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · dsb jej du (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · gv ad (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · az onlarla (commitative) (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi heidät (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · my သူတို့ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · gv adsyn (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · la ille (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · hu azokat (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar إِيَّاهُنَّ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · de sie (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · yo wọ́n (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sv dem (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · zu wona (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ka მათ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · nan-hbl 𪜶 (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · nl ze (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · eo ili (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sk ich (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es a ellos (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · wo leen (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar ـهُمَا (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · mi rātau (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pl ich (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sga da- (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · nl hen (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi hälle (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · cs je (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi heille (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it li (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ln bangó (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · es les (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ce царна (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ru их (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fo tey (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · uk їм (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi heiltä (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sga -us (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ka იმათ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cmn 她們 /她们 (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sga s- (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · io oli (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ga iadsan (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · bg тях (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar ـهُم (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · zu zona (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · no dem (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · hop pumuy (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · dsb jich (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · arz ـهم (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ga iad (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi siltä (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · nl hun (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sq ato (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cmn 他們 /他们 (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro îi (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cmn 牠們 /它们 (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cmn 它們 /它们 (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ht yo (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro ele (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi sille (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · eo ilin (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro le (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pt ile (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · id mereka (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · lou yé (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ca els (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it loro (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro ei (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi heitä (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pt os (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi hänellä (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · fo tær (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · io ili (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · vec lori (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · pt elu (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · fi hänelle (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · la is (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi häntä (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · ca els (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · io eli (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · yo wọn (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · de ihnen (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · dsb jeju du (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · da dem (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · xcl նոսա (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ee wo (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ro le (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it loro (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · my သူများ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · xcl նոցա (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ar ـهُنَّ (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · la hic (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fo teimum (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · itk אֵיסִי (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · hu őket (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · sco thaim (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · tr onlar (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ktu bau (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · cs jich (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · hy իրենց (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it a loro (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · zu zona (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · az onlarda (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fo teim (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · kk оларды (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fo teir (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi sitä (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · fi niitä (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it le (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · fi häneltä (third-person singular pronoun of indeterminate gender) · uk їх (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · bg им (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · it loro (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · ca les (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb) · az onlara (third personal plural pronoun used after a preposition or as the object of a verb)