Where does “de” come from?
de (Danish) comes from Old Danish thē, from Old Norse þeir, from Proto-Germanic þai, from Proto-Indo-European to-, from Proto-Indo-European só — this; that.
de (Danish): plural definite article; they; those
Definitions
- plural definite article; they; those
Ancestry of “de”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Danish | thē | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | þeir | those; they |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þai | they; those; nominative plural masculine of *sa |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | to- | it; that; the, that |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | só | this; that |