Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “heave” come from?

Heave comes from Middle English heven, from Old English habban, from Proto-Germanic habjaną, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p-, meaning to grasp or seize.

heave (English): To lift with difficulty; to raise with some...

Definitions

  1. To lift with difficulty; to raise with some...

Ancestry of “heave”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhevenTo raise, lift, heave; Alternative form of haven
2Old Englishhebbanto lift, raise
3Proto-West Germanichabbjanto have; to lift
4Proto-Germanichabjanąto have, to hold; to lift, heave
5Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyé-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

Words derived from “heave”

  • heaver
  • coalheaver
  • hoven
  • heaveth
  • heavest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →