O.E.
he (see paradigm of O.E. third pers. pronoun below), from P.Gmc.
*hiz, from P.Gmc. base
*khi-, from PIE
*ki-, the "this, here" (as opposed to "that, there") root (cf. Hittite
ki "this," Gk.
ekeinos "that person," O.C.S.
si, Lith.
sis "this"), and thus the source of the third person pronouns in O.E. The feminine,
hio, was replaced in early M.E. by forms from other stems (see
she), while the
h- wore off O.E. neut.
hit to make modern
it. The P.Gmc. root is also the source of the first element in Ger.
heute "today," lit. "the day" (cf. O.E.
heodæg). Slang
he-man "masculine fellow" is from 1832, originally among U.S. pioneers.
| case | SINGULAR | - | - | PLURAL |
| - | masc. | neut. | fem. | (all genders) |
| nom. | he | hit | heo, hio | hie, hi |
| acc. | hine | hit | hie, hi | hie, hi |
| gen. | his | his | hire | hira, heora |
| dat. | him | him | hire | him, heom |