Where does “hefty” come from?
Hefty derives from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, Proto-Indo-European -kos, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, tracing a suffix chain that formed adjectives of quality and characteristic.
hefty (English): Heavy, strong, vigorous, mighty, impressive;...
Definitions
- Heavy, strong, vigorous, mighty, impressive;...
Ancestry of “hefty”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | heft | Weight; Heaviness, the feel of weight; The act or... |
| 2 | German | heft | notebook, writing booklet, cahier, composition book book in which notes or memoranda are written |
| 3 | German | heften | to fasten; to tack; to stick |
| 4 | Middle High German | heften | — |
| 5 | Old High German | heften | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | haftijan | to make bound; to bind, secure |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | haftijaną | to make bound; to bind, secure |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |