He
/hiː/noun
A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified.
Did you know?The word 'he' can be traced back to ancient roots that not only signify gender but also evoke notions of the divine and the cosmos in early languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁é
“A pronoun used to refer to the male gender, suggesting an early distinction in gender identification.”
Ancient Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*hi
“An early form used to denote a male individual in the context of community and kin.”
Old English
Old English
hē
“The masculine pronoun 'he,' used to refer to a specific male person or object.”
14th Century
Middle English
he
“Retained from Old English, maintaining its function as a masculine pronoun.”
Modern English
English
he
“The standard masculine pronoun, widely used in contemporary language.”