Where does “heavy” come from?
heavy (English) comes from English heave, from Middle English heven, from Old English hebban, from Proto-West Germanic habbjan, from Proto-Germanic habjaną, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂pyé-, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- — to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...
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 |