Etymograph

English

her

Her comes from Old English hire ‘her’, from Proto-Germanic *hezōi, a dative form of *hiz ‘this’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís ‘this’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱís‘this’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hizas *hezōi‘this’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hezōi‘dative singular feminine of *hiz’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150hire‘her’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500here
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1897her

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱís‘this’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hizas *hezōi‘this’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hezōi‘dative singular feminine of *hiz’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150hire‘her’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500here
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1897her

Earliest quotation: 1897, Hamilton Kingsford: “I means to goo to th' mop, 'er sez,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱís ‘this (here)’

cis

through Proto-Germanic *hiz ‘this’

his, him, he, here, hey, en, hence, hitherto, hither

Today it means

det Belonging to her (belonging to that female person or animal, or in poetic or old-fashioned language that ship, city, season, etc).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱís / her

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