Its
/ɪts/noun
A possessive determiner referring to something previously mentioned or understood.
Did you know?Before “its” became standard, writers often used “his” for neuter things, as in “the sunne his light,” because English had not yet settled on a dedicated neuter possessive form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*i- / *id
“A demonstrative pronoun meaning “this” or “that,” reconstructed from later Indo-European forms.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*it
“The neuter third-person pronoun, referring to a thing or object.”
Old English
Old English
hit
““It”; the initial h was pronounced and later disappeared in Middle English.”
Middle English
Middle English
it
“The neuter pronoun, also used in possessive constructions alongside forms such as “his.””
16th–17th Century
English
its
“A possessive form of “it,” developing by analogy with possessives such as “hers” and “theirs.””
Modern English
English
its
“The standard possessive determiner for a neuter singular noun; unlike “it’s,” it is not normally written with an apostrophe.”