yo

/ˈʝo/ · A1 · pron

I

Latin ego wore down to eo, then yo — same root as English ego

Latin ego lost its g in speech to become eo, and the opening e hardened into the y sound: yo. That is why Spanish el yo is also the Freudian ego. Sound hook: a speaker opens with Yo! to point at themselves.

More Spanish words · How Spanish works