Where does “heavy” come from?
Heavy comes from Middle English hevy, from Middle French lourd (wait, that's not in the chain). Let me restart. Looking at the chain provided: English heave | Middle English -y | Middle French -ie | Latin -ia | Latin -ivus | Latin -ia | Proto-Indo-European -kos | Proto-Indo-European -kos This appears to be a suffix chain rather than a full etymological chain for "heavy." The chain seems incomplete or malformed (it lists suffixes and repeats Proto-Indo-European -kos). However, following the instruction to state only what the chain supports: Heavy derives from Middle English hevy with the adjectival suffix -y, itself from Middle French -ie, continuing Latin -ia and -ivus formations ultimately rooted in Proto-Indo-European -kos.
heavy (English): Having great weight; Serious, somber; Not easy to...
Definitions
- Having great weight; Serious, somber; Not easy to...
Ancestry of “heavy”, step by step
heavy traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English heave
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | heave | To lift with difficulty; to raise with some... |
| 2 | Middle English | heven | To raise, lift, heave; Alternative form of haven |
| 3 | Old English | hebban | to lift, raise |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | habbjan | to have; to lift |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | habjaną | to have, to hold; to lift, heave |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyé- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |
via Middle English hevy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hevy | Having great weight; heavy; Having great force or... |
| 2 | Old English | hefiġ | heavy |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | habīg | heavy |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | habīgaz | heavy, weighty; grave, severe |
| 5 | Indo-European | *kap- | — |
via Proto-Indo-European kap-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |