nominative masculine singular definite article, the
köken: From Middle High German dër, from Old High German dër, replacing the original masculine and feminine nominative forms from Proto-Germanic *sa, by analogy with the adjective inflection. Compare also Old Dutch thie and Old English sē where the same process occurred.
köken: Inherited from Middle Persian 𐭦𐭭𐭤 (ēn). Compare Mazanderani ام (am), Central Kurdish ئەم (em), Northern Kurdish ev, Alviri-Vidari ام (am). Possibly related to Sanskrit एन (ena).
this ... (near the speaker) · this ... I am talking about (only the speaker knows) · used before words for insults to add emphasis; compare Chinese 這／这 (zhè, “this”) and Vietnamese này (“this”)
köken: Originally a compound of Old Japanese elements こ (ko, “this”, pronoun) + の (no, possessive, modifies following noun). こ as a pronoun is no longer used individually in modern Japanese.
köken: From Proto-Finnic *nek (“those”, medial). The nominative form has been extended with the regular nominative plural ending (-d). Compare dialectal Finnish net (“they”, chiefly inanimate).