Etymograph

English

hex

Hex comes from Pennsylvania German hexe ‘to practice witchcraft’, and goes back to German hexen.

  1. Germanc. 1650–presenthexen‘to perform witchcraft, cast a spell/spells’
  2. Pennsylvania Germanmodernhexe‘to practice witchcraft’
  3. Englishtodayhex

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Germanc. 1650–presenthexen‘to perform witchcraft, cast a spell/spells’
  2. Pennsylvania Germanmodernhexe‘to practice witchcraft’
  3. Englishtodayhex

first attested First attested about 1830, from Pennsylvania German hexe (“to practice witchcraft”), from German hexen (compare Hexe (“witch”)) (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested about 1830, from Pennsylvania German hexe (‘to practice witchcraft’), from German hexen (compare Hexe (‘witch’)).

Every English word from German hexen

Today it means

verb To cast a spell on (specifically an evil spell), to bewitch.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / German hexen / hex

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