its

The word 'its' is a possessive form of the pronoun 'it'. It emerged in English around the end of the 16th century, created by analogy with other possessive forms like 'his' and 'hers'. Before this period, the neutral possessive was typically expressed by 'his', which could lead to ambiguity. The formation of 'its' is a straightforward grammatical development, adding the possessive suffix '-s' (a common Germanic genitive marker) directly to the neuter pronoun 'it'. This evolution streamlined English grammar by providing a dedicated, unambiguous possessive pronoun for inanimate objects and animals.

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