Where does “she” come from?
she (Middle English) comes from Middle English sche, from Old English hēo, from Germanic *hiju, from Proto-Germanic hijō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe- — demonstrative particle; here; this, here.
she (Middle English): Alternative form of sche
Ancestry of “she”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sche | Third-person singular feminine pronoun: she; It;... |
| 2 | Old English | hēo | she |
| 3 | Germanic | *hiju | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hijō | she; nominative singular feminine of *hiz |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe- | demonstrative particle; here; this, here |