halve

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*halbaz“half”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*halbijaną“to halve”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*halbijan
4. Old English · inherited fromhilfan
5. Middle English · inherited fromhalven
6. English todayhalve

From Middle English halven, helven, from Old English hilfan, helfan, *hielfan (“to halve, divide in two”), from Proto-West Germanic *halbijan, from Proto-Germanic *halbijaną (“to halve”), from Proto-Germanic *halbaz (“half”). Cognate with Middle Dutch halven (“to halve”), Middle High German halben, helben (“to halve”). Compare also West Frisian helte (“to halve”), Dutch halveren (“to halve”), German Low German halberen (“to halve”), German halbieren (“to halve”), Danish halvere (“to halve”), Swedish halvera (“to halve”).

Words from the same roots