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grammar - Was “God be with ye” grammatically correct at the time?


Several dictionaries I have consulted, as well as another question here on English.SE, state that the origin of the word goodbye is “God be with ye”.


Shouldn’t it be “God be with you” or perhaps “God be with thee”, or did the preposition with really take the nominative?



Answer



It is an error to believe that ye was only used in the nominative or vocative; it wasn’t. The word ye was sometimes used as the object. The OED says:



3. Used as objective (accusative or dative) instead of you (in plural or singular sense).



And provides many citations, of which these are but a few of them:




  • 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido iv. iv, ― For this will Dido tye ye full of knots,··Ye shall no more offend the Carthage Queene.

  • 1613 Shaks. Hen. VIII, v. iii. 181 ― As I haue made ye one Lords, one remaine: So I grow stronger, you more Honour gaine.

  • 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 840, ― I··shall··bring ye to the place.

  • 1820 Byron Mar. Fal. v. i. 198 ― Was not the place of Doge sufficient for ye?

  • 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop lxxii, ― ‘Go thy ways with him, sir,’ cried the sexton, ‘and Heaven be with ye both!’

  • 1847 Halliwell Dict. (1889) I. p. xiv/1 ― I’d soon yarn sum munney, I warrant ye.



Notice how Marlowe even has it going both ways.


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