English
harden
Harden comes from Old English heardian ‘to be or become hard’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *harduz.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*harduz‘hard’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hardijaną‘to make hard, strong’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardijan‘to harden, make hard’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hierdan‘to make hard’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hard(ī)‘hard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*hardēn‘to become hard, harden, solidify’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150heardian‘to be or become hard’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500harden
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500hardenen
- Englishearliest quotation 1959harden
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*harduz‘hard’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hardijaną‘to make hard, strong’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardijan‘to harden, make hard’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hierdan‘to make hard’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hard(ī)‘hard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*hardēn‘to become hard, harden, solidify’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150heardian‘to be or become hard’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500harden
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500hardenen
- Englishearliest quotation 1959harden
Earliest quotation: 1959, Accommodation for Non-Smokers: “The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that…”
Formed from hard + -en
Proto-Germanic *harduz
Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī)
Old English heard ‘hard’
Middle English hard
English hard
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kret-
rather, bureaucracy, bureaucratic, aristocracy, bureaucrat, 42 more
through Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī) ‘hard’
Today it means
verb To become hard.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *harduz / harden