hean

hean · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kaw-“to degrade, humiliate”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hauniz“low, lowly”
3. Old English · inherited fromhēan“lowly, despised, poor, mean, bare, abject”
4. Middle English · inherited fromhene
5. English todayhean

From Middle English hene, from Old English hēan (“lowly, despised, poor, mean, bare, abject”), from Proto-Germanic *hauniz (“low, lowly”), from Proto-Indo-European *kaw- (“to degrade, humiliate”). Cognate with German höhn (“jeering, demeaning, bad”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌽𐍃 (hauns, “contemptible, base, humble”), Dutch hoon (“scorn, insult”), Latvian kauns (“shame, disgrace, dishonour”), Ancient Greek καυνός (kaunós, “bad”).

hean · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kaw-“to degrade, humiliate”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*haunijaną“to humiliate”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*haunijan
4. Old English · inherited fromhīenan“to fell, prostrate, overcome, weaken, crush, afflict, injure, oppress, abase, humble, insult, accuse, condemn”
5. Middle English · inherited fromhenen
6. English todayhean

From Middle English henen, from Old English hīenan (“to fell, prostrate, overcome, weaken, crush, afflict, injure, oppress, abase, humble, insult, accuse, condemn”), from Proto-West Germanic *haunijan, from Proto-Germanic *haunijaną (“to humiliate”), from Proto-Indo-European *kaw- (“to degrade, humiliate”). Cognate with North Frisian huynjen (“to wound, abuse, hurt”), German höhnen (“to mock, jeer, scoff”) Swedish hån (“heckle, mocking”).

Words from the same roots