hean ( third-person singular simple present heans, present participle heaning, simple past and past participle heaned) From Middle English hene, from Old English hēan ( “ lowly, despised, poor, mean, bare, abject ” ), from Proto-Germanic *hauniz ( “ low, lowly ” ), from Proto-Indo-European *kaw- ( “ to degrade, humiliate ” ).

Cognate with German höhn ( “ jeering, demeaning, bad ” ), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌽𐍃 ( hauns, “ contemptible, base, humble ” ), Dutch hoon ( “ scorn, insult ” ), Latvian kauns ( “ shame, disgrace, dishonour ” ), Ancient Greek καυνός ( kaunós, “ bad ” ). From Middle English henen, from Old English hīenan ( “ to fell, prostrate, overcome, weaken, crush, afflict, injure, oppress, abase, humble, insult, accuse, condemn ” ), from Proto-West Germanic *haunijan, from Proto-Germanic *haunijaną ( “ to humiliate ” ), from Proto-Indo-European *kaw- ( “ to degrade, humiliate ” ).

Entry history for hean | hene, adj.