Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “heft” come from?

heft (Middle English) comes 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,...

Ancestry of “heft”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhevenTo raise, lift, heave; Alternative form of haven
2Old Englishhebbanto lift, raise
3Proto-West Germanichabbjanto have; to lift
4Proto-Germanichabjanąto have, to hold; to lift, heave
5Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyé-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

Words derived from “heft”

  • hefty
  • heft
  • heftily
  • heftiness
  • heftable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →