hear
/hɪər/
verb
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*hauzijaną — to hear
Overview
Meaning Now
- To perceive sounds by the ear.
- To listen to or attend to with the intention of understanding or judging.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Modern English
Earliest form
hieran
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The verb descends from a Proto-Germanic root related to the ear itself, distinguishing it from general perception verbs. It has remained one of the most stable core verbs in the English language.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*hauzijaną
“to hear”
- Old English
hieran
“to hear, to listen to”
- Middle English
heren
“to hear”
Connections
Word parts
hear
root
to perceive sound
Related across languages
German
hören
to hear
Dutch
horen
to hear
Old Norse
heyra
to hear
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.