English
heaviness
Heaviness comes from Middle English hevynesse ‘the quality of having great weight’, from Old English hefiġ ‘heavy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘take, seize’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘take, seize’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*habīgaz‘heavy, weighty’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hefiġ‘heavy’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150hefiġnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hevynesse‘the quality of having great weight’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590heaviness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-‘take, seize’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*habīgaz‘heavy, weighty’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hefiġ‘heavy’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150hefiġnes
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hevynesse‘the quality of having great weight’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590heaviness
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto VII: “Firſt got vvith guile, and then preſeru'd vvith dread,…”
Formed from heavy + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to take’
Proto-Germanic *habīgaz ‘heavy’
Proto-West Germanic *habīg ‘heavy’
Old English hefiġ ‘heavy’
Middle English hevy ‘having great weight’
English heavy
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘take, seize’
had, case, head, except, capital, cash, catch, accept, receive, captain, capacity, chapter, capable, achieve, cable, escape, chase, capture, behavior, cape, recipe, reception, occupation, perception, cattle, chapel, chef, capitol, recipient, cabin, haven, capita, behave, hawk, anticipation, anticipate, caption, captive, capsule, susceptible, 176 more
through Old English hefiġ ‘heavy’
Today it means
noun The state of being heavy; weight, weightiness, force of impact or gravity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / heaviness