English edit

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /hiːn/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːn

Etymology 1 edit

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 edit

hean (comparative more hean, superlative most hean)

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

Etymology 2 edit

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 edit

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 edit

Old English edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /xæ͜ɑːn/, [hæ͜ɑːn]

Adjective edit

hēan

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

Declension edit

Descendants edit

  • Middle English: hene