More what did they mean by that paul drake 9780788435713 more what did they mean by that paul drake on free shipping on qualifying offers the family historian must seek out the records of the merchants courts legislators and churches as well as the everyday expressions of the common men and women what did they mean by that a dictionary of both useful in genealogical and historical reading . They them he and she are personal pronouns we use pronouns in everyday language it helps us talk about ourselves other people and things sometimes pronouns like she and her are specific to. Pronouns describe ones identity they dont define it merriam webster made headlines a few weeks ago when it announced that it was adding a new meaning to the pronoun they as a word used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary. Here is just a small sampling of words you may not have realized didnt always mean what they mean today nice this word used to mean silly foolish simple far from the compliment it is today silly meanwhile silly went in the opposite direction in its earliest uses it referred to things worthy or blessed from there it came to refer to the weak and vulnerable and more recently