he/she

UK: hiː/ʃiː | US: hiː/ʃiː

Definition

  1. pron. A third-person singular pronoun used to refer to a male (he) or female (she) person.

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

he <Old English "hē" (male pronoun)>
she <Old English "hēo" (female pronoun, later influenced by "sēo")>

Etymology Origin:

  • "He" derives from Old English hē, rooted in Proto-Germanic hiz (this, this one), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱe- (demonstrative pronoun).
  • "She" evolved from Old English hēo (female form of hē), later reshaped by the feminine demonstrative sēo. Its development is unique among Germanic languages, likely influenced by phonetic clarity to distinguish gender.
Examples

  1. He is reading a book in the library.

  2. She won the award for her scientific research.

  3. When he/she arrives, please notify the team.

  4. She asked if he could help with the project.

  5. Everyone should bring what he/she needs for the trip.