English
heave-ho
Heave-ho comes from Middle English have howe.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500have howe
- Englishearliest quotation 1837heave-ho
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500have howe
- Englishearliest quotation 1837heave-ho
Earliest quotation: 1837, Nathaniel Hawthorne, A Bell's Biography: “Heave ho! up they hoisted their prize, dripping with…”
Every English word from Middle English have howe
Today it means
intj An exclamation used when pulling, especially by sailors while pulling on a rope.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English have howe / heave-ho