Definition of she

The origin of the word "she" dates back to Old English and is cognate with other Germanic languages. The word "she" is derived from the Old English and Old Norse word "hē" or "hēo", which was used as a pronoun to refer to a female person or animal. In Old English, the word "hē" was also used as a nominative pronoun, meaning "she" or "he", depending on the context. The distinction between masculine and feminine pronouns developed later, around the 11th century, with the word "hēo" becoming the standard feminine pronoun. Today, "she" is used in English as a third-person singular pronoun to refer to females, whereas "he" is used for males.