Personal Pronouns — 3rd Person (he, heo, hit, hie)
Core drill · 200×
0 / 200 correct repetitions
- Forms
- Each Nom. → Acc. → Gen. → Dat.
- he (masculine) — Third Personal Pronoun Masculine · 4 forms – / 200
- heo (feminine) — Third Personal Pronoun Feminine · 4 forms – / 200
- hit (neuter) — Third Personal Pronoun Neuter · 4 forms – / 200
- hie (plural) — Third Personal Pronoun Plural (All Genders) · 4 forms – / 200
0 / 16 forms · 4 lines
Personal Pronouns — Third Person (hē, hēo, hit)
Historical Grammar
53. Paradigm of the Third Personal Pronoun, hē, hēo, hit = he, she, it:
| Case | Masculine. | Feminine. | Neuter. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sing. | |||
| N. | hē | hēo | hit |
| G. | his | hiere | his |
| D. | him | hiere | him |
| A. | hine, hiene | hīe | hit |
| All Genders. | |||
| Plur. | |||
| N.A. hīe hīe | hiera | ||
| G. | |||
| D. | him | ||
Explanation & Usage
Personal Pronouns.
Paradigms of ic, I, ðū, thou. For hē, hēo, hit, see §53.
Note 1.—The dual number was soon absorbed by the plural. No relic of it now remains. But when two and only two are referred to, the dual is consistently used in O.E. An example occurs in the case of the two blind men (Matthew ix. 27-31): Gemiltsa unc, Davīdes sunu! Pity us, (thou) Son of David! Sīe inc æfter incrum gelēafan, Be it unto you according to your faith.
NOTE 2.—Mn.E. ye (
Syntax & Usage — Wülfing
Loquentes translation from Wülfing. Wülfing wrote in German; the English below is a Loquentes translation. The Old English examples are Wülfing’s own and are reproduced exactly as printed. The cleaned German original follows in the collapsible block.
237. 7. Hit is found with the following impersonal verbs, each given by Wülfing with its sense: dagian, "to dawn"; gebyrian, "to happen"; gedafenian, "to befit, to be fitting"; gelimpan, "to happen"; gerisan, "to befit"; getydan, "to happen"; geweorþan, "to happen"; hagalian, "to hail"; rinan, "to rain"; sniwan, "to snow"; styrman, "to storm"; tocuman, "to come about, to happen" (at Cp. 354, 10 in the sense "when it comes to the point that").
Further, hit stands with the following impersonal expressions: hit is cuð, "it is known"; hit is cynn, "it is suitable"; hit is god, "it is good"; hit is scondlic, "it is shameful"; hit bið swutol, "it is clear"; hit is þearf, "it is necessary"; hit is þeaw, "it is custom, usage"; hit is ceald weder, "it is cold weather"; and, without hit, is nyd, "it is necessary".
Wülfing singles out Or. 128, 24 (forwurdon lytle ær, swa hit her beforan sægð, nigantiene hund M monna) as peculiar: the manuscript reading beforan an leads him to take swa hit her beforan sægð as answering to German "wie es oben heißt", "as it says above". On the absence of hit with impersonal verbs he refers to § 227 and § 76.
238. 8. Hit sometimes stands where the word which it takes up is of a different gender, as at Be. 490, 21, where hit resumes the feminine seo lufu, and at Or. 142, 22 and 264, 6, where it resumes masculine or feminine antecedents.
238a. 9. The genitives of the personal pronouns are used in their true sense, not as possessive pronouns (compare § 245 ff.), at the following places: a. min; b. þin (at Cp. 409, 33 reflexively, see § 241; at Bo. 66, 4 the transition into the possessive use is recognizable); c. his.
Examples
sona on morgenne swa hit dagian ongan
swa hit gebyreð ðæt ðæt mod slæpð
þa gebyrede hit swiþe hraþe þæt he wearþ gebunden
gyf hyt æfre geberað þæt þu hi swa clæne forlætan mæht
þeah hit gebyrige þæt ge onwoh yrsien
swa hyt eac well gedafenode þæt God ða mæstan ofermetto geniðrode
ne gedafenað hit no, ðæt we . . . .
ða gelamp hit . . ., þæt he . . .
hu emnlice hit gelomp ymb ðas tu heofodricu
hit gelomp . . ðæt he . . . .
ða hit ða gelomp
rihte hit gerist þæt hine ealle rihtwillende emnlice herian
þa getydde hit þæt Ercules . . com to him
þa gewearð hit . . . þætte . . .
on sumre tide hit hagalade stanum
hit hagolade seofon niht
swa gelic swa ðu . . . sitte, . . . & hit rine & sniwe & styrme ute
þæt hit swa swiðe rinde þæt hie hæfdon wæter genog
þæt hie him ne ondræden . . . ., ðonne hit tocymð ðæt hie hit sprecan sculon
hit is cuð
hit is cynn
hit is god
hit is scondlic
þeh hit me scondlic sie
hit bið swutol
hit is þearf
hit is þeaw
hit is ceald weder
is nyd
forwurdon lytle ær, swa hit her beforan sægð, nigantiene hund M monna
forþon seo lufu is aa on ðam mode to healdanne & hit þæt gemet ðære ðrea dihtaþ & findeþ
Alexander XII gear þisne middangeard under him þrysmde & egsade & his æfterfolgeras feowertiene gear hit siþþan totugon & totæron
feng Domitianus to Romana onwalde . . . . & hit hæfde XV gear
neosode he min eft & cunnade
siððan min on Englisc Ælfred kyning awende worda gehwelc
ic min mað
næron ge no min gemunende
ge min noldon fandian
min mon eht
hwi murncnast þu wið min
swiþe wel ðu min hæfst geholpen
þe min ehtað
wilt þu min forgitan
hy sætiað min
hy min hawodon
beo þu min gemyndig
fanda min
þu ne lete mine fynd min fægnian
fandodon eft min
Dryhten min gymð
hwy forgitst þu min
min synt ealra wuda wildeor
hwonan ic þin tilian scyle
ne magon ne þin gehelpan
þætte nan þara goda þin nis
ic wes geo þin
hic wondrie þin
ic ðin fandige
fægnian þin ealle
þin ne gemunan
hwæs anbidie ic butan þin
ic eom gemyndig þin
nænig . . . owiht his beon on sundran cwæþ
ðe his gymenne dyde
þa sohte heo hine mid ealre geornfulnesse, & nænige swaðe his owhwær ætywde
his nane note ne hæfdon
þæt seo dæd his nære
hie his sciran ne dorstan
hie his ænne ende onbærndon
hie his sume ðorfton
se apostol his stirde
þæt we his to swiðe ne gidsodon
he fleah ðæt rice & tealde hine selfne his swiðe unwierðne
he his wel geweald ahte
his wundriað
he his healp
he his strienð
þe his beoð
his man ðeah ne gefret
hi wendon his beteran þonne he wære
wolde . . . his fandigan
ic his wæs swiþe wafiende
þeah ic his miþe
þeah þu his wene
his me nan man gedweligan ne mæg
hu ys (= his?) ic scile tocuman
ic hys gelife
þe hys geornful byt
þeah hi his ðe ne þancien
his ne hreowsiað
settað his digollice
þe his ehton
ne wyrð he gebrysed, ne his nan ban tobrocen
þolige his se þe hit ær ahte
gif mon . . . . his eft geswican wille
Original German — Wülfing
237. 7. Hit findet sich bei folgenden unpersönlichen Zeitwörtern:
dagian, tagen. Be. 524, 26 sona on morgenne swa hit dagian ongan; ebenso 532, 2.
gebyrian, geschehen. Cp. 431, 27 swa hit gebyreð ðæt ðæt mod slæpð; usw. Bo. 82, 7 þa gebyrede hit swiþe hraþe þæt he wearþ gebunden; 106, 8; 108, 14; 136, 15; 254, 11. So. 188, 32 gyf hyt æfre geberað þæt þu hi swa clæne forlætan mæht. Ps. 4, 5 þeah hit gebyrige þæt ge onwoh yrsien.
gedafenian, geziemen, passen. Or. 38, 3 swa hyt eac well gedafenode þæt God ða mæstan ofermetto geniðrode. Cp. 172, 17 ne gedafenað hit no, ðæt we . . . .
gelimpan, geschehen. Be. 477, 12 ða gelamp hit . . ., þæt he . . .; 501, 6; 528, 25; 529, 14; usw. Or. 62, 11 hu emnlice hit gelomp ymb ðas tu heofodricu. Cp. 196, 11 hit gelomp . . ðæt he . . . . Bo. 4, 13 ða hit ða gelomp; 260, 8.
gerisan, passen. Ps. 32, 1 rihte hit gerist þæt hine ealle rihtwillende emnlice herian.
getydan, geschehen. Bo. 80, 29 þa getydde hit þæt Ercules . . com to him.
geweorþan, geschehen. Or. 108, 24 þa gewearð hit . . . þætte . . .
hagalian, hageln. Or. 104, 20 on sumre tide hit hagalade stanum; 234, 6 hit hagolade seofon niht.
rinan, regnen. Be. 516, 17 swa gelic swa ðu . . . sitte, . . . & hit rine & sniwe & styrme ute. Or. 268, 16 þæt hit swa swiðe rinde þæt hie hæfdon wæter genog.
sniwan, schneien. Be. 516, 17 (vgl. rinan).
styrman, stürmen. Be. 516, 17 (vgl. rinan).
tocuman, geschehen. Cp. 354, 10 þæt hie him ne ondræden . . . ., ðonne hit tocymð ðæt hie hit sprecan sculon (= wenn es dazu kommt).
Ferner steht hit bei folgenden unpersönlichen Wendungen: hit is cuð, es ist bekannt (z. B. Cp. 168, 12), hit is cynn, es ist geeignet (Cp. 194, 20; 407, 15;), hit is god, es ist gut (Be. 471, 16;), hit is scondlic, es ist schändlich (Or. 48, 4; 108, 24 þeh hit me scondlic sie; Thorpe: though I feel shame), hit bið swutol, es ist klar (Cp. 152, 4), hit is þearf, es ist nötig (Or. 274, 20; Cp. 74, 22; 78, 20; 138, 10; 461, 10), hit is þeaw, es ist Sitte, Gebrauch (Or. 156, 21), hit is ceald weder, es ist kaltes Wetter (Or. 286, 31); — is nyd, es ist nötig (ohne hit: Be. 491, 7).
Eigentümlich ist die Stelle: Or. 128, 24 forwurdon lytle ær, swa hit her beforan sægð, nigantiene hund M monna; L. hat: beforan an; ich glaube, es entspricht unserm deutschen: „wie es oben heißt“.
Über das Fehlen von hit bei unpersönlichen Zeitwörtern vgl. § 227, auch § 76.
238. 8. Hit steht zuweilen, wo das Wort, welches es aufnimmt, anderes Geschlecht hat: Be. 490, 21 forþon seo lufu is aa on ðam mode to healdanne & hit þæt gemet ðære ðrea dihtaþ & findeþ (= haec ergo caritas in mente tenenda est, et ipsa modum correctionis dictat). Or. 142, 22 Alexander XII gear þisne middangeard under him þrysmde & egsade & his æfterfolgeras feowertiene gear hit siþþan totugon & totæron; 264, 6 feng Domitianus to Romana onwalde . . . . & hit hæfde XV gear; ebenso 284, 13.
238a. 9. Die Genitive der persönlichen Fürwörter erscheinen an folgenden Stellen in ihrem wirklichen Sinne gebraucht, nicht als zueignendes Fürwort (vgl. § 245 ff.):
a. min: Be. 619, 43 neosode he min eft & cunnade. Cp. 8, 13 siððan min on Englisc Ælfred kyning awende worda gehwelc (Sweet: afterwards king Alfred translated every word of me into English); 22, 10 ic min mað; 150, 21 næron ge no min gemunende; 328, 5 ge min noldon fandian; 362, 3 min mon eht. Bo. 28, 29 hwi murncnast þu wið min; 380, 24 swiþe wel ðu min hæfst geholpen. Ps. 7, 1 þe min ehtað; ebenso 9, 14; 12, 1 wilt þu min forgitan; 16, 11 hy sætiað min; 21, 16 hy min hawodon; 24, 6 beo þu min gemyndig; 25, 2 fanda min; 29, 1 þu ne lete mine fynd min fægnian; 34, 16 fandodon eft min; ebenso 40, 6; 39, 20 Dryhten min gymð; 41, 11 hwy forgitst þu min; 49, 11 min synt ealra wuda wildeor.
b. þin: Cp. 409, 33 (refl., s. § 241). Bo. 16, 16 hwonan ic þin tilian scyle; 64, 12 ne magon ne þin gehelpan; 66, 4 þætte nan þara goda þin nis (in solchen Fällen ist der Übergang ins zueignende Fürwort erkennbar). So. 169, 21 ic wes geo þin; 171, 31 hic wondrie þin; 177, 7 (vgl. h.); 182, 29 ic ðin fandige. Ps. 5, 12 fægnian þin ealle; 6, 4 þin ne gemunan; 38, 9 hwæs anbidie ic butan þin; 41, 7 ic eom gemyndig þin.
c. his: Be. 489, 15 nænig . . . owiht his beon on sundran cwæþ; 591, 2 ðe his gymenne dyde; 595, 3 þa sohte heo hine mid ealre geornfulnesse, & nænige swaðe his owhwær ætywde (= nullumque ejus uspiam vestigium apparuerit; Miller: owern æteowdon). Or. 48, 25 his nane note ne hæfdon; 106, 33 þæt seo dæd his nære; 114, 32 hie his sciran ne dorstan; 126, 14; 134, 14; 142, 13; 170, 24; 186, 24; 200, 15 hie his ænne ende onbærndon; 206, 29 (vgl. § 37. Anm); 218, 21, 34; 240, 22; 256, 5; 280, 11. Cp. 8, 16 hie his sume ðorfton; 32, 10 se apostol his stirde; 19 þæt we his to swiðe ne gidsodon; 34, 14 he fleah ðæt rice & tealde hine selfne his swiðe unwierðne; 36, 5 he his wel geweald ahte; 38, 7 his wundriað; 44, 6 he his healp; 54, 10 he his strienð; 138, 2 þe his beoð; 19 his man ðeah ne gefret; ähnlich 21; 166, 4; 196, 14; 206, 2; 240, 14; 270, 3; 376, 19; 389, 2; 391, 24. Bo. X, 24 hi wendon his beteran þonne he wære; 102, 21 wolde . . . his fandigan; ähnlich 118, 28; 116, 22 ic his wæs swiþe wafiende; 142, 2 þeah ic his miþe; 154, 28 þeah þu his wene; 194, 28 his me nan man gedweligan ne mæg; 320, 22; 352, 21; 362, 29; 380, 6. So. 169, 30 hu ys (= his?) ic scile tocuman; 173, 11 ic hys gelife; 30; 176, 29; 178, 34; 180, 4; 181, 3, 31; 183, 2; 187, 20 þe hys geornful byt; 189, 11. Ps. 4, 8 þeah hi his ðe ne þancien; 5, 5 his ne hreowsiað; 9, 29 settað his digollice; 16, 11 þe his ehton; 36, 23 ne wyrð he gebrysed, ne his nan ban tobrocen. Lc. 82, 20 þolige his se þe hit ær ahte; 84, 22 gif mon . . . . his eft geswican wille.
Source: Johann Ernst Wülfing, Die Syntax in den Werken Alfreds des Grossen, vol. 1, pp. 349-351, §§ 237, 238, 238a (opening: Einleitung, a-c) (Die Genitive der persönlichen Fürwörter (opening) / Hit bei unpersönlichen Zeitwörtern). Scan authority: archive.org diesyntaxindenw02wlgoog; OCR extraction aid: Google Books McUqAAAAMAAJ. Translator: Loquentes. Printed edition in the US public domain.
Loquentes Practice Reference
Our drill practices the 3rd person singular across all three genders plus the plural. Smith §53 prints no instrumental and no accusative plural distinct from the nominative.