User:Eirikr/Sandbox3/ni/sv

Etymology
Since 1661, through contraction of the Old Swedish verb suffix -(e)n and the older pronoun I, e.g. vissten I > visste ni ’did you know’. Compare Icelandic and  which developed similarly.

Pronunciation
/niː/

Pronoun

 * 1) you (plural nominative)
 * 2) you (second-person singular nominative formal) (capitalized Ni, rare in modern use)

Usage notes

 * Both ni and er are 2nd person plural, and are also used as the courteous or "formal" 2nd person singular (like the German Sie), capitalized (Ni, Er) or not. The use of titles an courteous forms is a political issue in Sweden. The courteous "ni" was introduced (following the pattern of e.g. French) around the year 1900, and largely abolished following a proposal in 1967 by Bror Rexed to simply use du instead. Friends of this democratic du-reform take offence when addressed with ni.