Where does “it” come from?
it (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic jut, from Proto-Indo-European yú, from Proto-Indo-European túh₂ — you, thou.
it (Old Norse): second-person dual pronoun; you two
Definitions
- second-person dual pronoun; you two
Ancestry of “it”, step by step
it traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-Germanic jut
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | jut | you two |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | yú | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | túh₂ | you, thou |
via Proto-Germanic *jit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | *jit | — |