What is where art thou?

"Art thou" is an archaic form of the English verb "to be." It's the second-person singular present indicative form. In simpler terms, it means "are you."

• Meaning: "Art thou" is equivalent to "are you". It's a direct question addressed to a single person.

• Usage: While not used in modern standard English, you will often encounter it in:

  • "Classical Literature": Especially in plays by Shakespeare and other works from the Early Modern English period.
  • "Religious Texts": Some older translations of the Bible use it.
  • "Fantasy and Historical Fiction": Authors sometimes use it to give characters a more archaic or formal tone.
  • "Archaic Speech": Sometimes used humorously or for effect to suggest someone is being old-fashioned.

• Grammar: "Art" is used with the singular pronoun "thou," which is the archaic equivalent of "you." "Thou" takes verb forms different from modern "you," hence "art" instead of "are". The corresponding object pronoun to "thou" is "thee" and possessive is "thy" or "thine".