*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of him

From Middle English him, from Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian him (“him”), West Frisian him (“him”), Sylt North Frisian ham, höm (“him”), Dutch hem (“

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A male person or animal.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English him, from Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian him (“him”), West Frisian him (“him”), Sylt North Frisian ham, höm (“him”), Dutch hem (“him”), German Low German hum, hüm, em (“him”), German ihm (“him”, dative).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhimenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhimang
  • Inherited-form mention*himmaigem-pro · to this, to this one
  • Cognate mentionhimstq · him
  • Cognate mentionhimfy · him
  • Cognate mentionhamfrr
  • Cognate mentionhemnl · him
  • Cognate mentionihmde · him
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:him"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"him\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"him\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"him\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English him"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English him"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*himmai",
        "t": "to this, to this one"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "him",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian him (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "him",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian him (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frr",
        "2": "ham"
      },
      "expansion": "North Frisian ham"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hem",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hem (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "hum"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German hum"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ihm",
        "t": "him",
        "pos": "dative"
      },
      "expansion": "German ihm (“him”, dative)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:him"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "him",
      "him#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*himmai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/himmai"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "ham",
      "ham#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "höm",
      "höm#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "hem",
      "hem#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "hum",
      "hum#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "hüm",
      "hüm#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "em",
      "em#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "ihm",
      "ihm#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A male person or animal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "ea4c03f33bd3dd48c78154775c6cdfba0c97b43e20aa18a0b9e67abd4c2c2ced",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b8fe5cb73c7599131dbf62be45b295757e225a9365776d19fa117d2558465aeb",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
pron

With dative effect or as an indirect object. · Following a preposition. · With accusative effect or as a direct object. · As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English him, from Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian him (“him”), West Frisian him (“him”), Sylt North Frisian ham, höm (“him”), Dutch hem (“him”), German Low German hum, hüm, em (“him”), German ihm (“him”, dative).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhimenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhimang
  • Inherited-form mention*himmaigem-pro · to this, to this one
  • Cognate mentionhimstq · him
  • Cognate mentionhimfy · him
  • Cognate mentionhamfrr
  • Cognate mentionhemnl · him
  • Cognate mentionihmde · him

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:him"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"him\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"him\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"him\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English him"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English him"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*himmai",
        "t": "to this, to this one"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *himmai (“to this, to this one”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "him",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian him (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "him",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian him (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frr",
        "2": "ham"
      },
      "expansion": "North Frisian ham"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hem",
        "t": "him"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hem (“him”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "hum"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German hum"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ihm",
        "t": "him",
        "pos": "dative"
      },
      "expansion": "German ihm (“him”, dative)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:him"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "him",
      "him#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*himmai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/himmai"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "him",
      "him#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "ham",
      "ham#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "höm",
      "höm#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "hem",
      "hem#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "hum",
      "hum#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "hüm",
      "hüm#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "em",
      "em#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "ihm",
      "ihm#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Jamaican Creole",
      "lang_code": "jam",
      "word": "im"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Pijin",
      "lang_code": "pis",
      "word": "hem"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Pijin",
      "lang_code": "pis",
      "word": "-im"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "pron",
      "glosses": [
        "With dative effect or as an indirect object.",
        "Following a preposition.",
        "With accusative effect or as a direct object.",
        "As a grammatical subject or object when joined with a conjunction."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "objective",
        "personal",
        "pronoun",
        "colloquial",
        "uncommon"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 24677
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for him →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aGlt