English word origin

Etymology of its

Equivalent to it + -s (possessive marker). From the earlier form it's (it + -'s), which is now considered nonstandard. Began to displace his as the possessive of the neuter pronoun in the Middle English period; had fully

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

pron

The one (or ones) belonging to it.

det

Belonging to it.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Word-formation componentiten
Compound componentiten

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "it",
        "3": "-s<id:possessive pronoun><pos:possessive marker>"
      },
      "expansion": "it + -s (possessive marker)"
    },
    {
      "name": "compound",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "it",
        "3": "-'s<id:possessive>"
      },
      "expansion": "it + -'s"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "it",
      "it#English"
    ],
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English:_possessive_pronoun"
    ],
    [
      "it's",
      "it's#English"
    ],
    [
      "it",
      "it#English"
    ],
    [
      "-'s",
      "-'s#English:_possessive"
    ],
    [
      "his",
      "his#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "pron",
      "glosses": [
        "The one (or ones) belonging to it."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "det",
      "glosses": [
        "Belonging to it."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

contraction

Obsolete spelling of it's.

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

Contraction of it + is.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "contraction",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "it",
        "3": "is"
      },
      "expansion": "Contraction of it + is"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "it",
      "it#English"
    ],
    [
      "is",
      "is#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "contraction",
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of it's."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "contraction",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

plural of it

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

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "plural of it"
      ],
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        "form-of",
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      ],
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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 its →

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-aXRz