hem

hem · interjection, noun, verb¹

A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)

hem · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hamjaną
2. Old English · inherited fromhemman
3. Middle English · inherited fromhemmen
4. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hamjaną
5. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hammjan
6. Old English · inherited fromhem
7. Middle English · inherited fromhem
8. English todayhem

From Middle English hem, hemm, in turn from Old English hem, of West Germanic origin, from Proto-West Germanic *hammjan from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną. Related to Middle High German hemmen (“to hem in”), Old Norse hemja (“to hem in, restrain”); outside of Germanic, to Armenian քամել (kʻamel, “to press, wring”), Russian ком (kom, “lump”). The verb is from Middle English hemmen, from Old English hemman, from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną, or alternatively derived from the noun.

hem · pronoun³

1. Old English · inherited fromheom“them”
2. Middle English · inherited fromhem
3. English todayhem

From Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative), originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. More at 'em.

Hem · proper noun⁴

1. Khmer · derived fromហែម“to add, to supplement”
2. English todayHem

From Khmer ហែម (haem, “to add, to supplement”).

Words from the same roots