this
UK: ðɪs | US: ðɪs
pron. referring to a person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought
adj. used to indicate a specific person or thing close at hand
No data yet.
The word "this" traces back to Old English þis, a demonstrative pronoun derived from Proto-Germanic þisa- (this). It shares roots with Old Saxon these, Old High German deser, and Old Norse þessi. The Proto-Indo-European base to- (that) underlies its function as a proximal demonstrative, contrasting with "that" (distal). Over time, þis simplified to "this" in Middle English, retaining its core role in pointing to nearby objects or ideas.
This book is my favorite.
Who is this person standing here?
I’ve never seen this before.
This time, we’ll do it right.
Do you like this color?