English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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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).

Adjective

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hean (comparative more hean, superlative most hean)

  1. (obsolete) Mean; abject; poor; humble; lowly.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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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).

Verb

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hean (third-person singular simple present heans, present participle heaning, simple past and past participle heaned)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To treat with contumely; insult; humiliate; debase; lower.

Anagrams

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Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *hauniz, whence also the Old High German noun hōna.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /xæ͜ɑːn/, [hæ͜ɑːn]

Adjective

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hēan

  1. low, mean, abject, humble
  2. poor, miserable
  3. humiliated; despicable

Declension

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: hene