| 释义 |
'em, pron.|əm|
Originally the unstressed form of hem, dat. and accus. 3rd pers. pl. The emphatic form of the pronoun was early superseded by them, but the unstressed form continued to be used, being regarded as an abbreviation of them. In literature it is now obs. or arch., but is still common in familiar speech.
In north midland dialects 'em may have arisen from them: cf. South Yorkshire 'at for that. In strictly northern dialects it is never used.
1380Sir Ferumb. 3098 Þer na ascapedem non. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, iv. iii. 124 These joints..As I will leave 'em them. 1672R. Wild Poet. Licent. 35 Some men there be that carry all before 'em. 1702Eng. Theophrast. 2 New-cast your poems, purge 'em of their dross. 1750W. Pelham Let. in Lady Chatterton Mem. Adm. Gambier (1861) I. iii. 36 You know my thoughts, I will trouble you therefore no more about 'em. 1832Tennyson Death Old Year, He gave me a friend, and a true true-love. And the New-Year will take 'em away. 1868Furnivall Temp. Pref. to Six-Text Cant. Tales 41 note, We can't blame 'em, as we all used to do the same. |