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In Latin ille frequently supplies the place of our definite article. “Thou art the man.” Tu es ille (iste) homo.

The le in French is clearly a derivative from ille, of which the former syllable il expresses he, and the latter denotes that unemphatically, serving as the definite article. From the same source also proceed the Italian articles il, lo, la.

In Hebrew, in like manner, our definite article is expressed by the prefix of the pronoun ille; thus, aretz, terra, “earth;”[24] ha’aretz, illa seu hæc terra, “the earth,” the letter he abbreviated from hou, ille, expressing the;—ashri, haish[25], beatus ille vir, “happy the man,” or “that man,” the he in like manner signifying the or that.

It appears to me, then, that as ae, ane, when not opposed to more, and therefore unemphatical, by celerity of pronunciation were changed into a, an; so that, when not opposed to this, or when it was unemphatical, was shortened to the. Hence, the words termed articles seem to be the name of unity, and the demonstrative word that abbreviated.