This
/ðɪs/noun
Used to identify a specific person or thing close at hand or just mentioned.
Did you know?English this comes from a Proto-Indo-European demonstrative root that also lies behind words like ‘that,’ ‘there,’ and even Latin-based distant relatives in other languages, showing how languages encode pointing as a basic act of power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*to- / *so-
“A demonstrative base used to point out or identify something.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þes / *þis
“A near demonstrative meaning roughly 'this' or 'these'.”
Old English
OE
þis
“This; the thing near the speaker.”
Middle English
ME
this
“This; the indicated thing or person.”
Modern English
English
this
“Used to identify a specific person or thing close at hand or just mentioned.”