Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “his” come from?

his (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic hes, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe, from Middle English kyt, from German kitt, from Old High German kuti, from Proto-West Germanic kwidu, from Proto-Germanic kweduz — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

his (Old English): genitive of hē: his; genitive of hit: its; his;...

Definitions

  1. genitive of hē: his; genitive of hit: its; his;...

Ancestry of “his”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanichesgenitive singular masculine/neuter of *hiz
2Proto-Germanic*hiz—
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
4Middle Englishkyt—
5Germankitt—
6Old High Germankuti—
7Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
8Proto-Germanickweduzresin
9Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
10Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “his”

  • hest
  • hisn
  • heis
  • hyse
  • hisen
  • isse
  • hes
  • his
  • hiss
  • his
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →