also: わいら · なむだち · なむたち
pronoun
you (plural); ye
Archaic derogatory second-person plural pronoun, typically used to address a group with contempt. Usually plural, but occasionally singular.
「汝等、ここに集まれ」と古い軍記に書いてある。
"Ye, gather here" is written in an old war chronicle.
pronoun
Only with reading わいら
Archaic first-person pronoun, used only with the reading わいら. Can be singular or plural.
古文書に「わいらが参上仕る」とある。
In an old document it says, 'I/we have come.'
The kanji 汝 (you) and 等 (plural suffix) combine to form an archaic second-person plural pronoun. The readings うぬら, なむたち, and なむだち are derived from archaic second-person pronouns with plural suffixes. The reading わいら is an archaic first-person pronoun with the same plural suffix, showing a semantic shift. The exact historical derivation of each reading is uncertain.