Where does “harry” come from?
Harry comes from Middle English herien, from Old English herian, from Proto-Germanic harjōną and harjaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ker- and the suffix -eh₂.
harry (English): To plunder, pillage, assault; To make repeated...
Definitions
- To plunder, pillage, assault; To make repeated...
Ancestry of “harry”, step by step
harry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English herien
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | herien | To thank or commend; To recognise, glorify, or... |
| 2 | Old English | herġian | to pillage, plunder |
| 3 | Frankish | harjōn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | harjōną | to overrun with an army; lay waste; ravage;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |
via Middle English harien
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | harien | Alternative form of herien; to drag by force,... |