Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “hone” come from?

hone (Middle English) comes from Old English hān, from Proto-Germanic hainō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱeh₃i- — to sharpen; sharpen.

hone (Middle English): hone; delay, hesitation

Definitions

  1. hone; delay, hesitation

Ancestry of “hone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhānboundary stone
2Proto-Germanichainōwhetstone
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱeh₃i-to sharpen; sharpen

Words derived from “hone”

  • someone
  • anyone
  • oneself
  • onetime
  • onesided
  • noone
  • oner
  • one's
  • onesies
  • onement
  • oneth
  • onesome
  • oneship
  • oneish
  • onescore
  • one-itis
  • one-way ticket
  • one-way mirror
  • one-year-old
  • grossone
  • one-armed
  • one-legged
  • oneties
  • onesie-twosie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱeh₃i- →