Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “half-hour” come from?

half-hour (English) comes from English half-, from Middle English half-, from Old English healf-, from Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

half-hour (English): A period of time equal to thirty minutes, half an...

Definitions

  1. A period of time equal to thirty minutes, half an...

Ancestry of “half-hour”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhalf-half or partial; not complete; Used before...
2Middle Englishhalf-—
3Old Englishhealf-—
4Old Englishhealfside; half; partly
5Proto-Germanic*halb—
6Proto-Germanichalbazhalf
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
8Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “half-hour”

  • half-hourly
  • half-hourlong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →