be they

[YAMATO2201]

You can either let your circumstances, be they your physical appearance, your financial condition, or your family origins, decide what happens to you, or you can transcend your perceived limitations and make extraordinary things happen.

(Source: an entrance examination to a Japanese university)

Is it OK to replace "be they" with "whether they are"?

 

[Skrej]

Yes. In fact, it's even probably more common.

'Be they' is still used, but sounds a bit formal or dramatic.\

An even less common alternative combines the two - 'whether they be'. Actually 'be they' might just be the shortened version of 'whether they be'.

 

[YAMATO2201]

'Be they' is still used,

Does the following sentence sound old-fashioned to you?

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

(Source: an entrance examination to a Japanese university)

 

[Raymott]

It's a common saying, and an old song. It is old-fashioned, but it will never go out of fashion as a fixed sentence.
If you were referring to the "be it" part, yes it's dated, but still used occasionally.
Be it rare or be it merely uncommon, you will still see it sometimes.

 

[YAMATO2201]

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Is the following version correct?

No matter how humble it may be, there's no place like home.

 

[YAMATO2201]

I accept that he's young and inexperienced; be that as it may, he is still a good teacher.

(Quoted from 英文法解説 by 江川泰一郎)

[Question 1] What does that refer to?

[Question 2] What does it refer to?

 

[Skrej]

I accept that he's young and inexperienced; be that as it may, he is still a good teacher.

(Quoted from 英文法解説 by 江川泰一郎)

[Question 1] What does that refer to? The fact that he's young and inexperienced.

[Question 2] What does it refer to? The fact that he's young and inexperienced.

They refer to the same thing.

 

[YAMATO2201]

They refer to the same thing.

Thanks, Skrej. My own answers were:

that ⇒ The fact that he's young and inexperienced.

it ⇒ The idea/observation/information/etc that he's young and inexperienced.

 

[Skrej]

I think your interpretation is also a reasonable breakdown of the ideas. It's just a bit more nuanced.

 

[YAMATO2201]

Yes.

Is the following version also correct?

However humble it may be, there's no place like home.

 

[YAMATO2201]

'Be they' is still used,

So be it.

Is this sentence used in today's North American English?

 

[YAMATO2201]

So be it.

Is this sentence used in today's North American English?

I just found the expression "so be it" in Longman Advanced American Dictionary. :-D

(I suppose "so be it" is used in today's British English.)

 

[Skrej]

So be it.

Is this sentence used in today's North American English?

Yes.