Where does “the” come from?

the (Scots) comes from Old English sē, from Proto-Germanic siz, from Proto-Germanic *sek, from Proto-Indo-European swe-, from Proto-Indo-European swé — self.

the (Scots): the definite article

Definitions

  1. the definite article

Ancestry of “the”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsēhe, that; that, that one, he
2Proto-Germanicsizdative/instrumental of *se-
3Proto-Germanic*sek—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswe-self
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswéself
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swé →Every word from Proto-Indo-European swe- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *sek →
the — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer