ḱe-
“this, here (proximal deictic)”here/this
PIE demonstrative meaning this or here. Source of Latin cis, hic, and proximal deictic words.
Discussion
*ḱe- is a Proto-Indo-European demonstrative root meaning "this" or "here," functioning as a proximal deictic—pointing to what is near the speaker.
Latin cis "on this side" (whence English cisalpine) and the demonstrative hic "this" derive from this root. The palatovelar *ḱ gives Latin c/h in different phonological environments. The adverb citra "on this side of" and the prefix cis- extend the spatial deictic sense.
In Germanic, the root contributes to Old English hē "he," hēo "she," and hit "it" (modern English he, she, it), though the exact derivation of these pronouns is complex and debated. The demonstrative/pronoun function is the root's primary legacy.
Greek ekeînos "that one" may contain this root in a compound formation. Sanskrit sa- "this" and the Vedic demonstratives reflect the Indo-Iranian continuation.
As a deictic root, *ḱe- belongs to the PIE system of spatial reference that included *to- "that/there" (distal) and *h₁e- (anaphoric). This three-way deictic system is reconstructable for PIE with reasonable confidence.
Modern descendants include English he (debated), and through Latin: cis-, cisalpine, and the literary here-and-now sense in various derivatives.
Notes
Source of Latin "cis" (on this side), "hic". Proximal demonstrative.