post-it

The word "Post-it" is a modern proprietary eponym, a trademark of the 3M company. It is formed by combining the verb "post," in the sense of affixing or placing a notice for public view, with the pronoun "it," referring to the note or message itself. This construction follows a common pattern in product naming, creating a compound that literally suggests "post that note." The term has undergone genericization, evolving from a specific brand name into a common noun for any adhesive note, demonstrating how commercial language can enter the general lexicon.

Structure: post (to place) + it (pronoun) 'Post' is from Latin post- meaning 'after, behind', but in English it has developed the sense 'to place or put up (as in post a notice)'. 'It' is a pronoun from Old English hit, used here as a generic object.