it

UK: ɪt | US: ɪt

Definition
  1. pron. referring to a previously mentioned or easily identifiable thing, animal, or concept

  2. pron. used as a dummy subject in statements about time, weather, or distance (e.g., "It is raining")

  3. pron. referring to a child or animal of unspecified gender

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

Derived from Old English hit (neuter pronoun), which evolved from Proto-Germanic *hit (compare Dutch het, German es). The initial h- was lost in Middle English due to unstressed usage. As a core function word, it has retained its compact form for over a millennium, serving as a linguistic placeholder for inanimate objects or abstract ideas.

Examples
  1. The book is on the table; please pass it to me.

  2. It snowed heavily last night.

  3. The cat purred when it saw its owner.

  4. It takes three hours to drive there.

  5. They adopted a puppy and named it Lucky.