Where does “hem” come from?
hem (Middle English) comes from Old English hem, from Proto-West Germanic hammjan, from Proto-Germanic hamjaną, from Proto-Indo-European kem- — to press together; to hinder, to hamper; to...
hem (Middle English): Third-person plural accusative pronoun: them;...
Definitions
- Third-person plural accusative pronoun: them;...
Ancestry of “hem”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | hem | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hammjan | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hamjaną | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kem- | to press together; to hinder, to hamper; to... |