Where does “heathen” come from?
Heathen comes from Old English hǽthen, related to Old Saxon heithan and Old High German heidan, ultimately derived from a Proto-Germanic root meaning non-Christian or pagan.
heathen (English): Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan
Definitions
- Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan
Ancestry of “heathen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Heathen | Pertaining or adhering to the Germanic neo-pagan... |
| 2 | Middle English | hethen | heathen, pagan; of those who are not Christian;... |
| 3 | Old Norse | héðan | hence |
| 4 | Old Norse | hér | here |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hē₂r | here, in this place |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 7 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 8 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 9 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 10 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |