he

he O.E. he (see paradigm of Old English third person pronoun below), from P.Gmc. *hi- (Cf. O.S., O.Fris., M.Du. he, hi, Du. hy, O.H.G. he), from PIE *ki-, variant of *ko-, the "this, here" (as opposed to "that, there") root (Cf. Hittite ki "this," Gk. ekeinos "that person," O.C.S. si, Lith. ЕЎis "this"), and thus the source of the third person pronouns in Old English. The feminine, hio, was replaced in early Middle English by forms from other stems (see SHE (Cf. she)), while the h- wore off Old English neuter hit to make modern it. The Proto-Germanic root also is the source of the first element in Ger. heute "today," lit. "the day" (Cf. O.E. heodæg).

Pleonastic use with the noun ("Mistah Kurtz, he dead") is attested from late Old English. With animal words, meaning "male" (he-goat, etc.) from c.1300.