his/her

UK: hɪz/ɜː(r) | US: hɪz/ɜːr

Definition

  1. pron. belonging to or associated with a male (his) or female (her) person previously mentioned.

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

Both "his" and "her" originate from Old English pronouns:

  • "His" derives from the genitive form of "hē" (he), retaining its possessive function.
  • "Her" stems from the Old English feminine pronoun "hēo/hīe," evolving into the modern possessive/objective form.
    These words reflect Germanic pronoun systems, where gender-specific possessives were standardized early in English. No further morpheme breakdown is possible, as they are monomorphic and core to the language.
Examples

  1. He forgot his keys on the table.

  2. She lent her book to a friend.

  3. His dog barks loudly at night.

  4. Her painting won first prize.

  5. The teacher returned his test with a smile.