Where does “hearken” come from?
Hearken comes from Middle English herkenen, from Old English heorcnian and heorcian, from Proto-Germanic hauzijaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ḱh₂owsyéti, ultimately from the root h₂eḱ- or h₂ew-.
hearken (English): To hear with attention; to have regard to; To...
Definitions
- To hear with attention; to have regard to; To...
Ancestry of “hearken”, step by step
hearken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hark | To listen attentively; A whisper |
| 2 | Middle English | herken | to listen attentively, take heed |
| 3 | Old English | hercian | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hauzakōną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hauzijaną | to hear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ḱh₂owsyéti | to be sharp-eared, to hear well |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ṓws | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew- | to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be... |