His
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈhɪz/, unstressed IPA: /ɪ̈z/
- Rhymes: -ɪz
Origin
From Middle English, from Old English his ("his, its"), from Proto-Germanic *hes ("of this"), genitive of *hiz ("this, this one"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-, *ḱey- ("this"). Cognate with Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic hans ("his"). More at he.
Full definition of his
Pronoun
his
(possessive pronoun)- (attributive) Belonging to him. from 8th c.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.i:With that he put his spurres vnto his steed,
With speare in rest, and toward him did fare,
Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed. - 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 4, No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
- 2011, Xan Rice, The Guardian, 8 Apr 2011:In his first televised address since the siege in Abidjan began this week, Ouattara said he would focus on returning the country to normal to ease the plight of civilians.
- (obsolete) Its; belonging to it. (Now only when implying personification.) 11th-17th c.
- 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.2:My stomacke could not well reach so farre: it is very much troubled to come to an end of that which it takes for his need.
- 1611, Matthew 5:13, King James Version:Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?
- (archaic) Used as a genitive marker in place of ’s after a noun, especially a masculine noun ending in sg, to express the possessive case. from 11th c.Ahab his mark for Ahab's mark.
Usage notes
When followed by a noun, it is sometimes referred to as a possessive adjective, qualifying the following noun. It is, however, the possessive case of the personal pronoun he.