Thee and Thou/Friends

[Barclay Walsh]

Dear ADS:

As an ADS lurker and birthright Quaker, I'd just add that growing up in a
Friends' community, I never heard anyone say "Thou." It was always "thee'
with a singular verb form, as in "How is thee?"  "Does thee have
conscientious objector status?" and so on.

My understanding was that in England the plural "You" was used to address
your social superiors, and was therefore offensive to the Friends'
philosophy of total equality.

Why  the "Thee" form did not "win out"  here instead of the "you" is
something I'd love to know more about.

thanks!
Barclay Walsh
NYT DC research