Etymograph

English

his

His comes from Old English his ‘his’, the genitive of hē, from Proto-Germanic *hes ‘of this’, the genitive 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*hiz‘this’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hes‘of this’reconstructedgenitive of *hiz
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150his‘his’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hes
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1530his

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*hiz‘this’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hes‘of this’reconstructedgenitive of *hiz
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150his‘his’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hes
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1530his

Earliest quotation: 1530, Iohan Palſgrave, The Introduction: “In ſo moche that if any verbe be of…”.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱe- ‘this’

it, she, hit, hen

through Proto-Germanic *hiz ‘this, this one’

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

Today it means

det Belonging to him.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱís / his

Shirt and support for this word