Where does “the” come from?
The English definite article "the" derives from Middle English the, Old English þȳ and þæt, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European te, tód, and só.
the (English): Definite grammatical article that implies...
Definitions
- Definite grammatical article that implies...
Ancestry of “the”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | the | Alternative form of þe; Alternative form of þei;... |
| 2 | Old English | þē | you, thee; the, that |
| 3 | Old English | sē | he, that; that, that one, he |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | siz | dative/instrumental of *se- |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *sek | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swe- | self |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |