Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
It
It
(ĭt)
, p
ron.
The neuter pronoun of the third person, corresponding to the masculine pronoun he and the feminine she, and having the same plural (they, their or theirs, them).
☞ The possessive form its is modern, being rarely found in the writings of Shakespeare and Milton, and not at all in the original King James’s version of the Bible. During the transition from the regular his to the anomalous its, it was to some extent employed in the possessive without the case ending. See
His
, and He
. In Dryden's time its had become quite established as the regular form. The day present hath ever inough to do with
it
owne grief. Genevan Test.
Do, child, go to
it
grandam, child. Shakespeare
It
knighthood shall do worse. It shall fright all it
friends with borrowing letters. B. Jonson.
☞ In the course of time, the nature of the neuter sign t in it, the form being found in but a few words, became misunderstood. Instead of being looked upon as an affix, it passed for part of the original word. Hence was formed from it the anomalous genitive its, superseding the Saxon his.
Latham.
It is used,
1.
As a substance for any noun of the neuter gender;
as, here is the book, take
.it
home2.
As a demonstrative, especially at the beginning of a sentence, pointing to that which is about to be stated, named, or mentioned, or referring to that which apparent or well known;
as, I saw
. it
was JohnIt
is I; be not afraid. Matt. xiv. 27.
3.
As an indefinite nominative for a impersonal verb;
as,
it
snows; it
rains.4.
As a substitute for such general terms as, the state of affairs, the condition of things, and the like;
as, how is
it
with the sick man?Think on me when
it
shall be well with thee. Gen. xl. 14.
5.
As an indefinite object after some intransitive verbs, or after a substantive used humorously as a verb;
as, to foot
. it
(i. e., to walk)The Lacedemonians, at the Straits of Thermopylæ, when their arms failed them, fought
it
out with nails and teeth. Dryden.
Whether the charmer sinner
If folly grows romantic, I must paint it.
it
, or saint it
,If folly grows romantic, I must paint it.
Pope.
Its self
. See
Itself
.Webster 1828 Edition
It
IT
, pron. [L. id.]1.
A substitute or pronoun of the neuter gender, sometimes called demonstrative, and standing for any thing except males and females, 'Keep thy heart with all diligence,for out of it are the issues of life.' Prov. 9. Here it is the substitute for heart.2.
It is much used as the nominative case or word to verbs called impersonal; as it rains; it snows. In this case,there is no determinate thing to which it can be referred. In other cases, it may be referred to matter, affair, or some other word. Is it come to this?
3.
Very often, it is used to introduce a sentence, preceding a verb as a nominative, but referring to a clause or distinct member of the sentence. 'It is well ascertained, that the figure of the earth is an oblate spheroid.' What is well ascertained?The answer will show: the figure of the earth is an oblate spheroid; it [that] is well ascertained. Here it represents the clause of the sentence,'the figure of the earth,' &c. If the order of the sentence is inverted, the use of it is superseded. The figure of the earth is an oblate spheroid; that is well ascertained.
It, like that, is often a substitute for a sentence or clause of a sentence.
4.
It often begins a sentence, when a personal pronoun, or the name of a person, or a masculine noun follows. It is I: be not afraid. It was Judas who betrayed Christ. When a question is asked, it follows the verb; as, who was it that betrayed Christ?5.
It is used also for the state of a person or affair. How is it with our general?
6.
It is used after intransitive verbs very indefinitely and sometimes ludicrously, but rarely in an elevated style. If Abraham brought all with him, it is not probable he meant to walk it back for his pleasure.
The Lacedemonians, at the straits of Thermopylae, when their arms failed them, fought it out with nails and teeth.
Whether the charmer sinner it, or saint it.
Definition 2024
it
it
See also: Appendix:Variations of "it"
English
Alternative forms
- (dialectal) hit
Alternative forms
- itt (obsolete)
Pronoun
it (subjective and objective it, reflexive and intensive itself, possessive determiner and noun its)
- The third-person singular personal pronoun that is normally used to refer to an inanimate object, also often used to refer to animals.
- Put it over there.
- Take each day as it comes.
- I heard the sound of the school bus - it was early today,
- A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a child of unknown gender.
- She took the baby and held it in her arms.
- 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter IV:
- 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.
- Used to refer to oneself when identifying oneself, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation.
- It's me. John.
- The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement. (known as the dummy pronoun or weather it)
- It is nearly 10 o’clock.
- It’s very cold today.
- It’s lonely without you.
- The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object. (known as the dummy pronoun or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive)
- It is easy to see how she would think that.
- I find it odd that you would say that.
- He saw to it that everyone would vote for him.
- All or the end; something after which there is no more.
- Are there more students in this class, or is this it?
- That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you.
- (obsolete) Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun: That which; what.
- 1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2:
- 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 [...].
- 1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2:
- See Wiktionary:English inflection for other personal pronouns.
Quotations
- For usage examples of this term, see Citations:it.
Derived terms
See also
Translations
subject — inanimate thing
|
|
object
|
|
subject of impersonal statement
impersonal pronoun, used without referent
impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder
Determiner
it
- (obsolete) its
- 1611, Authorized King James Version of the Bible, first edition, Leviticus 25:5:
- That which groweth of it owne accord of thy haruest, thou ſhalt not reape, neither gather the grapes of thy Uine vndreſſed: for it is a yeere of reſt vnto the land. (replaced by "its" in the 1769 Oxford Standard Text)
- 1611, Authorized King James Version of the Bible, first edition, Leviticus 25:5:
Noun
it (plural its)
- One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being.
- 1995, Neil Weiner, Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius, Shattered innocence (page 8)
- Too often, children become an "it" in their homes and their humanness is devalued.
- 1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
- His master glanced up quickly, and removed the letter from his hands. "I'm surprised at you, James," he remarked severely. "A secretary should control itself. Don't forget that the perfect secretary is an it: an automatic machine—a thing incapable of feeling.…"
- 1995, Neil Weiner, Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius, Shattered innocence (page 8)
- The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag.
- In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it…
- 2000, Katherine T. Thomas, Amelia M. Lee, Jerry R. Thomas, Physical education for children (page 464)
- When there are only two children left who haven't been tagged, I will stop the game, and we will start over with those children starting as the Its.
- (Britain, uncountable) The game of tag.
- Let's play it at breaktime.
- (uncountable) sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond beauty.
- 1904, Rudyard Kipling, "Mrs Bathurst"
- '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
- 1927, Dorothy Parker,
- And she had It. It, ****; she had Those.
- 1904, Rudyard Kipling, "Mrs Bathurst"
- (euphemistic) sexual activity
Adjective
it (not comparable)
- (colloquial) most fashionable.
- 2007 September, Vibe, volume 15, number 9, page 202:
- Going away for the weekend and feel the need to profile en route? This is the "it" bag.
- David Germain, Hilarious ‘Kick-Ass’ delivers bloody fun, Associated Press, 2010:
- With Hit Girl, Moretz is this year's It Girl, alternately sweet, savage and scary.
- 2007 September, Vibe, volume 15, number 9, page 202:
Etymology 2
Abbreviation
it
Derived terms
See also
Statistics
Anagrams
Azeri
Etymology
From Proto-Turkic *it, *ït.
Noun
it (Cyrillic spelling ит)
Verb
it (Cyrillic spelling ит)
- get lost (imperative)
Crimean Tatar
Etymology
From Proto-Turkic *it, *ït.
Noun
it
Synonyms
References
- Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary], Simferopol: Dolya, ISBN 966-7980-89-8
Greenlandic
Affix
it
- indicates a state of being without something.
- maani nipaappoq ― It is quiet here.
- sikuippoq ― There is no ice.
Irish
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪt̪ˠ/
Contraction
it (triggers lenition)
Related terms
Irish preposition contractions
| Basic form | Contracted with | Copular forms | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| an (“the sg”) | na (“the pl”) | mo (“my”) | do (“your”) | a (“his, her, their; which (present)”) | ár (“our”) | ar (“which (past)”) | (before consonant) | (present/future before vowel) | (past/conditional before vowel) | |
| de (“from”) | den | de na desna* |
de mo dem* |
de do ded*, det* |
dá | dár | dar | darb | darbh | |
| do (“to, for”) | don | do na dosna* |
do mo dom* |
do do dod*, dot* |
dá | dár | dar | darb | darbh | |
| faoi (“under, about”) | faoin | faoi na | faoi mo | faoi do | faoina | faoinár | faoinar | faoinarb | faoinarbh | |
| i (“in”) | sa, san | sna | i mo im* |
i do id*, it* |
ina | inár | inar | inarb | inarbh | |
| le (“with”) | leis an | leis na | le mo lem* |
le do led*, let* |
lena | lenár | lenar | lenarb | lenarbh | |
| ó (“from, since”) | ón | ó na ósna* |
ó mo óm* |
ó do ód*, ót* |
óna | ónár | ónar | ónarb | ónarbh | |
| trí (“through”) | tríd an | trí na | trí mo | trí do | trína | trínár | trínar | trínarb | trínarbh | |
| *Dialectal. | ||||||||||
Latvian
Particle
it
- used to assign accentuation to expression
- it sevišķi ― especially
- it nekas ― nothing at all
- it nekur ― nowhere at all
- it nemaz ― not at all
- it kā ― as if
Middle Low German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪt/, /ət/
Etymology
From Old Saxon it, from Proto-Germanic *hit.
Pronoun
it
Declension
Middle Low German personal pronouns
| nominative | accusative | dative | genitive | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | ik (ek) | mî (mê, mik, mek) | mîn (mîner) | ||
| 2nd person singular | dû | dî (dê, dik, dek) | dîn (dîner) | ||
| 3rd person singular | |||||
| m | hê (hî, hie) | ēne, en (ȫne, ȫn) | ēme, em (ȫme, en) | sîn (sîner) | |
| n | it (et) | ||||
| f | sê (sî, sie, sü̂) | ēre, ēr (ērer, ȫrer) | |||
| 1st person plural | wî (wê, wie) | uns (ûs, ös, ü̂sik) | unser (ûser) | ||
| 2nd person plural | gî (jê, î) | jû (jûwe, û, jük, gik) | jûwer (ûwer) | ||
| 3rd person plural | sê (sî, sie) | em, öm, jüm (en) | ēre, ēr (ērer, ȫrer) | ||
|
For an explanation of the forms in brackets see here. | |||||
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *it.
Pronoun
it n
Declension
Old Saxon personal pronouns
| Personal pronouns | |||||
| Singular | 1. | 2. | 3. m | 3. f | 3. n |
| Nominative | ik | thū | hē | siu | it |
| Accusative | mī, me, mik | thī, thik | ina | sia | |
| Dative | mī | thī | imu | iru | it |
| Genitive | mīn | thīn | is | ira | is |
| Dual | 1. | 2. | - | - | - |
| Nominative | wit | git | - | - | - |
| Accusative | unk | ink | - | - | - |
| Dative | |||||
| Genitive | unkero | - | - | - | |
| Plural | 1. | 2. | 3. m | 3. f | 3. n |
| Nominative | wī, we | gī, ge | sia | sia | siu |
| Accusative | ūs, unsik | eu, iu, iuu | |||
| Dative | ūs | im | |||
| Genitive | ūser | euwar, iuwer, iuwar, iuwero, iuwera | iro | ||
Descendants
- Low German: et
Turkish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈit]
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish ايت (it), from Old Turkic ıt (“dog”), from Proto-Turkic *īt, *ıyt, *ɨt, *it.
Noun
it (definite accusative iti, plural itler)
- (often derogatory) dog
- (derogatory, pejorative) scoundrel, detestable person
Declension
declension of it
possessive forms of it
| benim (my) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
|---|---|---|
| nominative (yalın) | itim | itlerim |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itimi | itlerimi |
| dative (yönelme) | itime | itlerime |
| locative (bulunma) | itimde | itlerimde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itimden | itlerimden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itimin | itlerimin |
| senin (your) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
| nominative (yalın) | itin | itlerin |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itini | itlerini |
| dative (yönelme) | itine | itlerine |
| locative (bulunma) | itinde | itlerinde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itinden | itlerinden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itinin | itlerinin |
| onun (her/his/its) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
| nominative (yalın) | iti | itleri |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itini | itlerini |
| dative (yönelme) | itine | itlerine |
| locative (bulunma) | itinde | itlerinde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itinden | itlerinden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itinin | itlerinin |
| bizim (our) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
| nominative (yalın) | itimiz | itlerimiz |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itimizi | itlerimizi |
| dative (yönelme) | itimize | itlerimize |
| locative (bulunma) | itimizde | itlerimizde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itimizden | itlerimizden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itimizin | itlerimizin |
| sizin (your) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
| nominative (yalın) | itiniz | itleriniz |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itinizi | itlerinizi |
| dative (yönelme) | itinize | itlerinize |
| locative (bulunma) | itinizde | itlerinizde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itinizden | itlerinizden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itinizin | itlerinizin |
| onların (their) | singular (tekil) | plural (çoğul) |
| nominative (yalın) | itleri | itleri |
| definite accusative (belirtme) | itlerini | itlerini |
| dative (yönelme) | itlerine | itlerine |
| locative (bulunma) | itlerinde | itlerinde |
| ablative (çıkma) | itlerinden | itlerinden |
| genitive (tamlayan) | itlerinin | itlerinin |
predicative forms of it
| simple present | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| ben (I am) | itim | itlerim* |
| sen (you are) | itsin | itlersin* |
| o (he/she/it is) | it / ittir | itler* / itlerdir* |
| biz (we are) | itiz | itleriz |
| siz (you are) | itsiniz | itlersiniz |
| onlar (they are) | itler | itlerdir |
| simple past | singular | plural |
| ben (I was) | ittim | itlerdim* |
| sen (you were) | ittin | itlerdin* |
| o (he/she/it was) | itti | itlerdi* |
| biz (we were) | ittik | itlerdik |
| siz (you were) | ittiniz | itlerdiniz |
| onlar (they were) | ittiler | itlerdi |
| indirect / unwitnessed past | singular | plural |
| ben (I was) | itmişim | itlermişim* |
| sen (you were) | itmişsin | itlermişsin* |
| o (he/she/it was) | itmiş | itlermiş* |
| biz (we were) | itmişiz | itlermişiz |
| siz (you were) | itmişsiniz | itlermişsiniz |
| onlar (they were) | itmişler | itlermiş |
| *Not used, but perhaps rarely - chiefly grammatical formations.
Note: Plural forms are not used with adjectives. | ||
Usage notes
Not historically derogatory, and still used as the primary term for "dog" in the countryside. Usually, if a dog is a stray or feral, it can be referred to as "it" as well. The more usual word is köpek, which is also pejorative and derogatory when used for a person.
Verb
it
Turkmen
Etymology
From Old Turkic ıt (“dog”), from Proto-Turkic *īt, *ıyt, *ɨt, *it.
Noun
it (definite accusative idi, plural itler)
Declension
declension of it
Volapük
Determiner
it
- (with a personal pronoun) self; myself; yourself; himself; herself; itself; ourselves; themselves; emphasises the identity or singularity of the modified noun phrase
Welsh
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪt/
Pronoun
it
- (literary) second-person singular of i