Word: it Part of Speech: pron Etymology: From Middle English it, hit ( > dialectal English hit (“it”)), from Old English hit (“it”), from Proto-West Germanic *hit, from Proto-Germanic *hit (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe (“here; here”). Cognates Cognate with Yola it, t', yt (“it”), North Frisian at, et, 't (“it”), Saterland Frisian et (“it”), West Frisian it (“it”), Dutch het (“it”), Luxembourgish hatt (“her, it, she”), Elfdalian eð (“it”); also Primitive Irish ᚕᚑᚔ (koi, “here”), Latin cis (“short of; before”), hic (“this”), Greek εκείνος (ekeínos, “that; those”). Compare Cimbrian es, is, 's, 'z (“it”), German es, 's (“it, there”), Mòcheno and Vilamovian s (“it”), Yiddish עס (es, “it”), Faroese ið (“that, which, who”), Gothic 𐌹𐍄𐌰 (ita, “it”), which instead descends from Proto-Germanic *it (“it”). More at he. Pronunciation: /ɪt/, /ɘt/, [ɪ̈t], [ɪt], /ət/ 1. The third-person singular neuter personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human living thing. Example: Take this book and put it on the shelf. Example: Take each day as it comes. 2. A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a baby or child, especially of unknown gender. Example: She took the baby and held it in her arms. Example: A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction. 3. A third-person singular pronoun used to refer to an unspecified person. Labels: rare Example: All these things inclined her, step by step, to submit to the new discovery, whether Queen Victoria's or another's, that each man and each woman has another allotted to it for life, whom it supports, by whom it is supported, till death them do part. Example: She had never seen that each human being was different, would react differently, had its own peculiar idiosyncrasies. 4. An affectionate third-person singular personal pronoun. Labels: obsolete Example: "[…] It's my belief that you don't know your own mind." "I don't, dear," said Hulda, nestling to him. "Why, what a puss it is!" cried Sir Philip, kissing her tenderly. Example: 1897, Olive Pratt Rayner (Grant Allen), The Type-Writer Girl She caught my eye, and laughed. “What a funny girl it is!” she cried. “You are so comical! But it isn't the least use your trying to frighten me. I can see the twinkle in your big black eyes; and I like you in spite of your trying to be horrid. Do you know, I liked you from the first moment I saw you.” 5. A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an animate referent who is transgender or non-binary. Labels: derogatory, offensive Example: 1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure Next morning bought her [a drag queen] breakfast & she asked for a couple dollars to get a drink. Gave her $3, walked her to a bar. […] Some teenage boys watched us walking & began shouting. When I left her at the bar door & kissed her goodbye, they began shouting "Ugh! You kissed it!!" Example: "Oh, don't be silly. I am neither male nor female. I'm a farfel." […] "It. Refer to me as an it." "That seems pretty rude," I said nervously. "Not as rude as calling me a he or a she," it said. 6. Refers to someone being identified, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation. Example: It's me, John. Example: Somebody wanted a drink, didn't they? Who was it? 7. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement (known as the dummy pronoun, dummy it or weather it). Example: It is nearly 10 o’clock. Example: It’s 10:45. 8. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent, or with unstated but contextually implied referent, in various short idioms or expressions. Example: rough it Example: live it up 9. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent, or with unstated but contextually implied referent, in various short idioms or expressions. Example: After all these years, she still has it. Example: Later that night, a friend told Brady, “Still got it.” “Never lost it,” he replied. THAT WAS MOSTLY TRUE. But the 2013 season ended with the Patriots coaches wondering whether Brady's skills were in a subtle but irrevocable decline […] 10. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent, or with unstated but contextually implied referent, in various short idioms or expressions. Example: I caught them doing it. Example: Are you getting it regularly? 11. Sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond physical appearance. Labels: uncountable Example: 'Tisn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just It. Some women'll stay in a man's memory if they once walked down a street Example: And she had It. It, hell; she had Those. 12. The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object; known as the dummy pronoun (according to some definitions), anticipatory it or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive. The delayed subject is commonly a to-infinitive, a gerund, or a noun clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction. Example: It’s not worth talking to you. Example: It is easy to see how she would think that. 13. All or the end; something after which there is no more. Example: Are there more students in this class, or is this it? Example: That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you. 14. Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun: That which; what. Labels: obsolete Example: In briefe, I am content, and what should providence add more? Surely this is it [= it which] wee call Happinesse, and this doe I enjoy [...].