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hean

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, obsolete To treat with contumely; insult; humiliate; debase; lower.
  • adjective obsolete Mean; abject; poor; humble; lowly.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English henen, from Old English hīenan ("to fell, prostrate, overcome, weaken, crush, afflict, injure, oppress, abase, humble, insult, accuse, condemn"), from Proto-Germanic *haunijanan (“to humiliate”), from Proto-Indo-European *kau- (“to degrade, humiliate”). Cognate with North Frisian huynjen ("to wound, abuse, hurt"), German höhnen ("to mock, jeer, scoff").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English hene, from Old English hēan ("lowly, despised, poor, mean, bare, abject"), from Proto-Germanic *haunaz (“low, lowly”), from Proto-Indo-European *kau- (“to degrade, humiliate”). Cognate with German höhn ("jeering, demeaning, bad"), Gothic  (hauns, "contemptible, base, humble"), Dutch hoon ("scorn, insult"), Latvian kauns ("shame, disgrace, dishonour").

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