He/hine Flag
Hē/hine (pronounced "HEH" and "HEE-nuh") are the Old English masculine pronouns; The equivalent of he/him, in Modern English. They are considered archaeopronouns, and were most commonly used between c. 450 CE until c. 1150, mainly by the British Anglo-Saxons. [1]They are not officially recognized in Modern English, however, few people still use them for various reasons, the most common one being personal comfort. They are very similar to the Modern English masculine pronouns, he/him.
The Old English feminine pronouns are Hēo/hie, the neuter pronouns are hit/hit, and the plural pronouns are hī/hī.
Before reading ahead, it is important to note that Old English did not have special reflexive pronouns [2] (example: herself, himself, themself/themselves), which is why there are no reflexive pronouns in the tables below. Most people who use these pronouns will make their own (Usually being hineself or himself, along with other Modern English counterparts).
How to Use[]
| Type | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Hē | Hē walked the dog. |
| Accusative | Hine | Someone gave the dog to hine so he could walk it. |
| Dative | Him (pronounced "HEEM") | You gave the dog to him. |
| Genitive | His (pronounced "HEES") | The dog is now his. |