English
heave
Heave comes from Middle English heven ‘to raise one's eyes or hair’, from Proto-West Germanic *habbjan ‘to lift’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to seize, hold’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘to seize, hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*habjaną‘to take up, lift’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*habbjan‘to lift’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hebban‘to lift, raise’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500heven‘to raise one's eyes or hair’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600heave
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘to seize, hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*habjaną‘to take up, lift’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*habbjan‘to lift’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hebban‘to lift, raise’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500heven‘to raise one's eyes or hair’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600heave
Earliest quotation: c. 1598–1600, William Shakespeare, As You Like It: “The wretched animal heaved forth such groans.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to seize, hold’
except, capital, cash, captain, catch, head, capacity, chapter, escape, behavior, achieve, cape, acceptable, occupation, acceptance, cattle, cabin, heavy, chapel, capitol, chef, capita, heavily, hawk, precipitation, captivity, haven, behave, captive, chaplain, cad, mischief, conceive, conceivable, mischievous, capillary, chieftain, precipitate, capo, cabana, 140 more
through Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti ‘to be grasping’
case, accept, capable, receive, cable, chase, capture, recipe, reception, perception, recipient, anticipation, anticipate, caption, capsule, susceptible, deception, cashier, cater, chassis, cassette, casket, deceit, deceptive, deceive, preoccupation, receivable, perceptible, cajon, kas, preceptor, chasse, sashay, 30 more
through Proto-Germanic *habjaną ‘to take up, lift’
through Middle English heven ‘to raise one's eyes or hair’
Today it means
verb To lift with difficulty; to raise with some effort; to lift (a heavy thing).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / heave