These is used to refer to specific people or things that are close in space, time, or thought, and it is the plural form of 'this'. It can stand alone as a pronoun or come before a noun.
From Old English *þās*, plural of *þes* 'this'. It is part of the same demonstrative family as 'this', 'that', 'those'.
English points to the world with a tiny system: this/these (near) and that/those (far). 'These' zooms the camera in on nearby items, whether they’re objects on a table or ideas you just mentioned.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.