# Proto-Indo-European pronouns

Proto-Indo-European pronouns have been reconstructed by modern linguists, based on similarities found across all Indo-European languages. This article lists and discusses the hypothesised forms.
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) pronouns, especially demonstrative pronouns, are difficult to reconstruct because of their variety in later languages.

## Grammatical categories

PIE pronouns inflected for case and number, and partly for gender. For more information on these categories, see the article on Proto-Indo-European nominals.

## Personal pronouns

PIE had personal pronouns in the first and second person, but not the third person, where demonstratives were used instead. They were inflected for case and number (singular, dual, and plural), but not for gender. The personal pronouns had their own unique forms and endings, and some had two distinct stems; this is most obvious in the first person singular, where the two stems are still preserved, as for instance in English I and me. There were also two varieties for the accusative, genitive and dative cases, a stressed and an enclitic form. Many of the special pronominal endings were later borrowed as nominal endings.
The following tables give the paradigms as reconstructed by Beekes and by Sihler.
Beekes' reconstruction of PIE personal pronouns :
| | | First person | First person | Second person | Second person |
| | | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Nominative | Nominative | *h₁eǵ(oH/Hom) | *uei | *tuH | *iuH |
| Accusative | stressed | *h₁mé | *nsmé | *tué | *usmé |
| Accusative | enclitic | *h₁me | *nōs | *te | *uōs |
| Genitive | stressed | *h₁méne | *ns(er)o- | *teue | *ius(er)o- |
| Genitive | enclitic | *h₁moi | *nos | *toi | *uos |
| Dative | stressed | *h₁méǵʰio | *nsmei | *tébʰio | *usmei |
| Dative | enclitic | *h₁moi | *ns | *toi | ? |
| Instrumental | Instrumental | *h₁moí | ? | *toí | ? |
| Ablative | Ablative | *h₁med | *nsmed | *tued | *usmed |
| Locative | Locative | *h₁moí | *nsmi | *toí | *usmi |
Sihler's reconstruction of PIE personal pronouns :
| | | First person | First person | First person | Second person | Second person | Second person |
| | | Singular | Dual | Plural | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Nominative | Nominative | *eǵoH | *weh₁ | *we-i | *tī̆ (*tū̆) | *yuh₁ (*yūh₁?) | *yūs (*yuHs?) |
| Accusative | tonic | *m-mé (> *mé) | *n̥h₁-wé | *n̥smé | *twé | *uh₁-wé | *usmé |
| Accusative | enclitic | *me | *nō̆h₁ | *nō̆s | *te | *wō̆h₁ | *wō̆s |
| Genitive | tonic | *mé-me | *nō̆h₁ | *n̥sóm | *té-we | *wō̆h₁ | *usóm |
| Genitive | enclitic | *mos (adj.) | *nō̆h₁ | *nō̆s | *tos (adj.) | *wō̆h₁ | *wō̆s |
| Dative | tonic | *mébhi | *nō̆h₁ | *n̥sm-éy | *tébhi | *wō̆h₁ | *usm-éy |
| Dative | enclitic | *mey, *moy? | *nō̆h₁ | *nō̆s | *tey, *toy | *wō̆h₁ | *wō̆s |
| Ablative | Ablative | *mm-ét (> *mét) | *nō̆h₁ | *n̥sm-ét | *tw-ét | *wō̆h₁ | *usm-ét |
Other reconstructions typically differ only slightly from Beekes and Sihler (see for example Fortson 2004).

## Demonstrative pronouns

As for demonstratives, Beekes tentatively reconstructs a system with only two pronouns: *so "this, that" and *h₁e "the (just named)" (anaphoric, reconstructed as *ei- by Fortson). He gives the following paradigms:
| | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) | Demonstrative pronouns (Beekes) |
| | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine |
| Nominative | *so | *tod | *seh₂ | *toi | *teh₂ | *seh₂i?? |
| Accusative | *tóm | *tod | *teh₂m | *tons | *teh₂ | *teh₂ns |
| Genitive | *(to)sio | *(to)sio | *(t)eseh₂s | *tesom? | *tesom? | *tesom? |
| Ablative | *tosmōd | *tosmōd | *tosmōd | *toios? | *toios? | *toios? |
| Dative | *tosmōi | *tosmōi | *tesieh₂ei | *toimus | *toimus | *teh₂mus? |
| Locative | *tosmi | *tosmi | *tesieh₂i | *toisu | *toisu | *teh₂su? |
| Instrumental | *toi? | *toi? | *toi? | *toibʰi | *toibʰi | *teh₂bʰi? |
| Nominative | *h₁e | *(h₁)id | *(h₁)ih₂ | *h₁ei | *ih₂ | *ih₂es |
| Accusative | *im | *(h₁)id | *ih₂m | *ins | *ih₂ | *ih₂ns |
| Genitive | *h₁éso | *h₁éso | *h₁eseh₂s? | *h₁es(om) | *h₁es(om) | *h₁es(om) |
| Ablative | *h₁esmōd | *h₁esmōd | *h₁esmōd | *h₁eios? | *h₁eios? | *h₁eios? |
| Dative | *h₁esmōi | *h₁esmōi | *h₁esieh₂ei | *h₁eimus | *h₁eimus | *h₁eimus |
| Locative | *h₁esmi | *h₁esmi | *h₁esieh₂i | *h₁eisu | *h₁eisu | *h₁eisu |
| Instrumental | *h₁ei? | *h₁ei? | *h₁ei? | *h₁eibʰi | *h₁eibʰi | *h₁eibʰi |
Beekes also postulates three adverbial particles, from which demonstratives were constructed in various later languages:
* *ḱi "here" (reconstructed as a demonstrative *ḱi- "this" by Fortson)
* *h₂en "there" and
* *h₂eu "away, again",
| | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) | Demonstrative pronouns (Sihler) |
| | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine |
| Nominative | *so | *tod | *seh₂, *sih₂ | *toy | *teh₂ | *teh₂s |
| Accusative | *tom | *tod | *teh₂m | *toms | *teh₂ | *teh₂ms |
| Genitive | *tosyo | *tosyo | *tosyeh₂s | *toysō̆m | *toysō̆m | *teh₂sō̆m |
| Ablative | *tosmōd | *tosmōd | *tosyeh₂s | *toybʰ- | *toybʰ- | *teh₂bʰ- |
| Dative | *tosmey | *tosmey | *tosyeh₂ey | *toybʰ- | *toybʰ- | *teh₂bʰ- |
| Locative | *tosmi | *tosmi | ? | *toysu | *toysu | *teh₂su |
| Instrumental | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Nominative | *is | *id | *ih₂ | *eyes | *ih₂ | *ih₂es |
| Accusative | *im | *id | *ih₂m | *ins | *ih₂ | *ih₂ms |
| Genitive | *esyo | *esyo | *esyeh₂s | *eysom | *eysom | *eysom |
| Ablative | *esmod | *esmod | *esyeh₂s | *eybʰ- | *eybʰ- | *eybʰ- |
| Dative | *esmey | *esmey | *esyeh₂ey | *eybʰ- | *eybʰ- | *eybʰ- |
| Locative | *esmi | *esmi | ? | *eysu | *eysu | *eysu |
| Instrumental | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |

## Reflexive pronoun

A third-person reflexive pronoun *s(w)e-, parallel to the first and second person singular personal pronouns, also existed, though it lacked a nominative form:
Reflexive pronoun (Beekes) :
| Accusative | *se |
| Genitive | *seue, *sei |
| Dative | *sebʰio, *soi |

## Relative pronoun

PIE had a relative pronoun with the stem *(H)yo-.

## Interrogative/indefinite pronoun

There was also a pronoun with the stem *kʷe- / *kʷi- (adjectival *kʷo-) used both as an interrogative and an indefinite pronoun.
Interrogative pronoun (Sihler) :
| | Pronominal | Pronominal | Pronominal | Pronominal | Adjectival | Adjectival | Adjectival | Adjectival | Adjectival | Adjectival |
| | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine |
| Nominative | *kʷis | *kʷid | *kʷeyes | *kʷih₂ | *kʷos | *kʷod | *kʷeh₂ | *kʷoy | *kʷeh₂ | *kʷeh₂(e)s |
| Accusative | *kʷim | *kʷid | *kʷims | *kʷih₂ | *kʷom | *kʷod | *kʷeh₂m | *kʷoms | *kʷeh₂ | *kʷeh₂ms |
| Dative | *kʷesmey | *kʷesmey | *kʷeybh- | *kʷeybh- | *kʷosmey | *kʷosmey | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Genitive | *kʷesyo | *kʷesyo | *kʷeysom | *kʷeysom | *kʷosyo | *kʷosyo | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Locative | *kʷesmi | *kʷesmi | *kʷeysu | *kʷeysu | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |

## Pronominal adjectives

Proto-Indo-European possessed few adjectives that had a distinct set of endings, identical to those of the demonstrative pronoun above but differing from those of regular adjectives. They included at least *ályos "other, another" (or *h₂élyos?).

## Reflexes

Reflexes, or descendants of the PIE reconstructed forms in its daughter languages, include the following.
| Type | Reconstruction | Reflexes |
| 1st sg. nom. | *eǵoH | Hitt. ūk, Ved. ahám, Av. azəm, Gk. ἐγώ(ν), Lat. ego, Goth. ik, Eng. I, Gm. ich, Du. ik, Alb. u-në, Bulg. аз\az, Russ. я\ja, Kamviri õc, Carian uk, Osset. æz/æz, Umb. eho, ON ek, Lith. aš, Venet. ego |
| 1st sg. oblique | *me | Ved. mām, Av. mąm, Gk. ἐμέ, Lat. mē, Eng. mec/me, Gm. mih/mich, Du. mij, Osset./Pers. mæn, Umb. mehe, Ir. mé, Welsh mi, Russ. mne, Alb. mua, Venet. mego |
| 1st pl. nom. | *we-i | Hitt. wēš, Ved. vayám, Av. vaēm, Goth. wit (dual), weis, Toch. was/wes, Eng. we, Gm. wir, Du. wij, Pers. vayam/?, ON vér, Lith. vedu |
| 1st pl. oblique | *nō̆s | Hitt. anzāš, Gk. νώ (dual), Lat. nōs, Goth. uns, Toch. ñäś (sg.), Gm. uns, Eng. us, Du. ons, Skr. nas, Av. nō, Pers. amaxām/?, ON oss, okkr, Old Ir. ni, Welsh ni, OPruss. noūson, Lith. nuodu, Pol., Russ. nas, Alb. ne |
| 2nd sg. | *tī̆ (*tū̆) / *te | Hitt. zīk, Ved. tvám, Av. tū, Gk. σύ, Doric τύ, Lat. tū, Goth. þu, Toch. tu/tuwe, OCS ty Gm. du, Eng. thou, Pers. tuva/to, Osset. dy, Kashmiri tsū', Kamviri tü, Umb. tu, tui, Osc. tuvai, ON þú, Ir. tú/thú, Welsh ti, Arm. tu/du, OPruss. toū, Pol. ty, Russ. ty, Lith. tu, Ltv. tu, Alb. ti |
| 2nd pl. nom. | *yū(H)s | Ved. yūyám, Av. yūš, Gk. ὑμεῖς, Goth. jūs, Toch. yas/yes, Eng. gē/ye; ēow/you, Gm. ir/ihr, Du. jij / gij, ON ykkr, yðr, Arm. dzez/dzez/cez, OPruss. ioūs, Lith. jūs, Ltv. jūs, Alb. juve, ju |
| 2nd pl. oblique | *wō̆s | Lat. vōs, Skr. vas, Av. vō, Umb. uestra, OPruss. wans, Pol. wy, was, Russ. vy, vas, Alb. u |
| Demonstrative ("this, that") | *so (m), *se-h₂ (f), *to-d (n) | Ved. sá, sā, tád, Av. hō, hā, tat̰, Gk. ὁ, ἡ, τό, Goth. sa, so, þata, Icel. sá, sú, það, TochB. se, sā, te Old Eng. se, seo, thæt, Russ. tot, ta, to |
| Demonstrative ("the just named; this") | *h₁e / *ei- | Ved. ay-ám, id-ám, Av. īm "him", Lat. is, ea, id, Alb. aì (he, that), ajò (she, that), Goth. is "he" Skr. it |
| Demonstrative / adverbial particle | *ḱi(-) | Lat. cis, Eng. he, Gm. heute "on this day, today", OCS sĭ, Lith. šìs, ON hér, Goth. hita, Eng. it, Gm. hier, Russ. sije |
| Reflexive | *s(w)e- | Ved. sva-yám, Av. xᵛāi, Gk. ἑ-, Lat. sē, sibi, suus, Old Ir. fa(-dessin), Ir. féin, OCS sę, Gm. sih/sich, sin/sein, Du. zich, zijn Carian sfes, Lyd. śfa-, Osc. sífeí, Umb. seso, ON sik, sinn, Goth. sik, Arm. ink῾s, OPruss. sien, sin, Lith. savo, Latv. sevi, Russ. sebe, -sja, Alb. vetë, u, Phryg. ve |
| Relative | *(H)yo- | Ved. yá-, Av. ya-, Gk. ὅ-, Proto-Celtic *yo- |
| Interrogative pronoun | *kʷi-s (m, f), *kʷi-d (n) | Hitt. kuiš, Luw. kuiš, Gk. τίς, Lat. quis, quid, Ir. cia, Eng. hwī/–, OCS čĭto Lyc. tike, Lyd. qi-, Osset. či, Pers. čiy/ki, Osc. pisi, Umb. púí, svepis, ON hverr, Welsh pwi, Russ. kto, čto, Alb. çë |
| Interrogative adjective | *kʷo-s (m), *kʷe-h₂ (f), *kʷo-d (n) | Ved. kás, Av. kō, Gk. ποῦ "where?", pōs "somehow", Goth. ƕas, Lith. kàs, OCS kŭto Eng. hwā/who; hwæt/what, Gm. hwër/wer, Du. wie / wat, Carian kuo, Kashmiri kus, Kamviri kâča, Lat. qui, quae, quod; Arm. ov, inč῾, Toch. kus/kŭse, Ltv. kas, Pol. kto, Russ. kto, Alb. ku, kush, Phryg. kos |
| "(an)other" | *alyo- | Gk. ἄλλος, Lat. alius, Goth. aljis, Ir. ail/eile, Toch. ālak/alyek, Gm. eli-lenti "in another land, expelled" / elend "miserable, wretched", Eng. elles/else, Lyd. aλaś, Skr. araṇa, Osc. allo, ON elligar, Gaul. alla, Arm. ayl |
In the following languages, two reflexes separated by a slash means:
* English: Old English / Modern English
* German: Old High German / New High German
* Irish: Old Irish / Modern Irish
* Persian: Old Persian / Modern Persian
* Tocharian: Tocharian A / Tocharian B