Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hew” come from?

Hew comes from Old English hēawan, from Proto-West Germanic hauwan, from Proto-Germanic hawwaną, from Proto-Indo-European kewh₂-.

hew (English): To chop away at; to whittle down; to mow down; To...

Definitions

  1. To chop away at; to whittle down; to mow down; To...

Ancestry of “hew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhewen—
2Old Englishhēawanto chop, hew; to dice, mince
3Proto-West Germanichauwanto hew, to chop
4Proto-Germanichawwanąto hew, to chop; to forge
5Proto-Celticsukkos—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeansuH-pig, hog, swine
7Proto-Indo-EuropeansewH-to bear; to give birth
8Proto-Indo-Europeansew-to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

Words derived from “hew”

  • hewer
  • heweth
  • roughhew
  • hewable
  • hewest
  • woodhewer
  • rehew
  • wood-hewer
  • rough-hew
  • forehew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sew- →