yͤ en · DET
Etymology
Substituted the Middle English þͤ (“the”) due to the lack of a sort for it and visual similarity in blackletter type. See Thorn (letter) on Wikipedia for more information.
Meanings
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(Early, Modern, alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of ye (“the”).
alt of ye
And from thence he went agaynſt yͤ inhabiters of Debir (but Debir was called Kiriath Sepher afoꝛetyme.)
1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Judges j:[3], folio xiij, recto, column 2:Now vnto yͤ king eternal, immortall, inuiſible, the onely wiſe God, be honour and glory for euer ⁊ euer. Amen.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 1:17, column 2:OLd Iohn of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaſter, Haſt thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold ſon: Heere to make good yͤ boiſtrous late appeale, Which then our leyſure would not let vs heare, Againſt the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?
1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 23, column 1:And you ſhall finde, that the ſcriptures will instruct the man of God vnto all good works, & make him wiſe vnto ſaluation, if theſe wil not ſerue your turn, ſeeke where you wil, & find yͤ deuil & eternal damnatiõ.
1580, T. Stapleton and Martiall (Two Popish Heretikes) Confuted, and of Their Particular Heresies Detected, London: Henrie Middleton, page 167: