Where does “had” come from?
had (Middle English) comes from Middle English hod, from Old English hād, from Proto-West Germanic *haidu, from Proto-Germanic haiduz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kayt-.
had (Middle English): Alternative form of hod
Ancestry of “had”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hod | One's degree, level, office, or estate; one's... |
| 2 | Old English | hād | person, individual, character, individuality;... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *haidu | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | haiduz | manner, way; personality, character; appearance |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kayt- | — |