Where does “halve” come from?
Halve derives from Middle English helven, from Old English hielfan, from Proto-West Germanic halbijan, from Proto-Germanic halbijaną, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root (s)kel- meaning to cut or split.
halve (English): To reduce to half the original amount; To divide...
Definitions
- To reduce to half the original amount; To divide...
Ancestry of “halve”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | halven | — |
| 2 | Old English | hilfan | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | halbijan | to halve, to cut in half |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | halbijaną | to halve |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | halbaz | half |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |