Etymology dictionary

happy (adv.) — harsh (adj.)

1520s, "good fortune," from happy + -ness. Meaning "pleasant and contented mental state" is from 1590s. Phrase greatest happiness for the greatest number was in Francis Hutcheson (1725) but later was associated with Bentham.

happify (v.)

1610s, "to make happy," from happy + -ify. Related: Happified. Enhappy (v.) is attested from 1620s.

happily (adv.)

mid-14c., "by chance or accident;" late 14c., "by good fortune, luckily," from happy + -ly (2). Sense of "in pleasant circumstances, with mental pleasure and contentment" is from 1510s. Happily ever after recorded by 1825.

happy-go-lucky (adv.)

also happy go lucky, 1670s, "haphazard, in any way one pleases; every man for himself." Earlier as happy-be-lucky (1630s). The adjective, of persons, recorded from 1835, "careless," hence "carefree."

Hapsburg

European dynasty, from German Habsburg, from the name of a castle on the Aar in Switzerland, originally Habichtsburg, literally "Hawk's Castle."

haptics (n.)

1895, from haptic; see -ics.

haptic (adj.)

"pertaining to the sense of touch," 1890, from Greek haptikos "able to come into contact with," from haptein "to fasten" (see apse).

harness (v.)

"to put a harness on a draught animal," c. 1300, from Old French harneschier "make ready, equip, arm," from harnois (see harness (n.)); figurative sense "to control for use as power" is from 1690s. Related: Harnessed; harnessing.

harness (n.)

c. 1300, "personal fighting equipment, body armor," also "armor or trappings of a war-horse," from Old French harnois, a noun of broad meaning: "arms, equipment; harness; male genitalia; tackle; household equipment" (12c.), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse *hernest "provisions for an army," from herr "army" (see harry (v.)) + nest "provisions" (see nostalgia). Non-military sense of "fittings for a beast of burden" is from early 14c. German Harnisch "harness, armor" is the French word, borrowed into Middle High German. The Celtic words are believed to be also from French, as are Spanish arnes, Portuguese arnez, Italian arnese. Prive harness (late 14c.) was a Middle English term for "sex organs."

hara-kiri (n.)

"suicide by disembowelment," 1856, from Japanese, literally "belly-cutting," the colloquial word for what is formally called seppuku "cut open the stomach;" from hara "belly" + kiri "to cut." Sometimes erroneously written hari-kari.

haram (adj.)

in Islamic terminology, "forbidden;" see harem.

harangue (v.)

"to address in a harangue; to deliver a harangue," 1650s, from French haranguer (15c.), from harangue (see harangue (n.)). Related: Harangued; haranguing.

harangue (n.)

"a public address; a formal, vehement, or passionate address;" also "any formal or pompous speech; a declamation; a tirade," mid-15c., arang, Scottish (in English from c. 1600), from French harangue "a public address" (14c.), from Old Italian aringo "public square, platform; pulpit; arena," from a Germanic source such as Old High German hring "circle" (see ring (n.1)) on the notion of "circular gathering," with an -a- inserted to ease Romanic pronunciation of Germanic hr- (compare hamper (n.1)).

But Watkins and Barnhart suggest a Germanic compound, *harihring "circular gathering, assembly," literally "host-ring, army-ring," with first element *hari- "war-band, host" (see harry (v.)). From the same Germanic "ring" root via Romanic come rank (n.), range (v.), arrange.

harass (v.)

1610s, "to lay waste, devastate" (obsolete); 1620s, "to vex by repeated attacks," from French harasser "tire out, vex" (16c.), which is of uncertain origin; possibly from Old French harer "stir up, provoke; set a dog on" (according to Watkins, from Frankish *hara "over here, hither," from Proto-Germanic *hi‑, from PIE *ki-, variant form of root *ko-, the stem of demonstrative pronoun meaning "this"), and perhaps blended with Old French harier "to harry, draw, drag" [Barnhart]. Related: Harassed; harassing.

harassment (n.)

"action of harassing; state of being harassed," 1753, from harass + -ment.

harbinger (n.)

late 15c., herbengar "one sent ahead to arrange lodgings" (for a monarch, an army, etc.), alteration of Middle English herberger "provider of shelter, innkeeper" (late 12c.), from Old French herbergeor "one who offers lodging, innkeeper," agent noun from herbergier "provide lodging," from herber "lodging, shelter," from Frankish *heriberga "lodging, inn" (cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German heriberga "army shelter"), from Germanic compound *harja-bergaz "shelter, lodgings," which is also the source of harbor (n.). Sense of "forerunner, that which precedes and gives notice of the coming of another" is mid-16c. The unetymological -n- is from 15c. (see messenger). As a verb, from 1640s (harbinge "to lodge" is late 15c.).

harbor (v.)

Old English herebeorgian "take up quarters, lodge, shelter oneself" (cognate with Old Norse herbergja, Old High German heribergon, Middle Dutch herbergen), verbal formation from here-beorg "lodgings, quarters" (see harbor (n.)). Meaning "give shelter to, protect" is from mid-14c. Figuratively, of thoughts, etc., from late 14c. Related: Harbored; harboring.

harbor (n.)

"lodging for ships; sheltered recess in a coastline," early 12c., a specialized sense of Middle English herberwe "temporary dwelling place, quarters, lodgings; an inn; the camp of an army in the field," probably from Old English here-beorg (West Saxon), *here-berg (Anglian) "lodgings, quarters," from Proto-Germanic compound *harja-bergaz "shelter, lodgings," from *heri "army, host" (see harry (v.)) + *burzjan- "protection, shelter" (from PIE root *bhergh- (1) "to hide, protect"). Perhaps modeled on Old Norse herbergi "room, lodgings, quarters."

harbour

chiefly British English spelling of harbor (n. and v.); for spelling, see -or. In this case it is considered to be without etymological justification and probably by analogy of labour.

hard (adj.)

Old English heard "solid and firm, not soft," also, "difficult to endure, carried on with great exertion," also, of persons, "severe, rigorous, harsh, cruel," from Proto-Germanic *hardu- (source also of Old Saxon hard, Old Frisian herd, Dutch hard, Old Norse harðr "hard," Old High German harto "extremely, very," German hart, Gothic hardus "hard"), from PIE *kortu-, suffixed form of root *kar- "hard."

Meaning "difficult to do" is from c. 1200. Of water, in reference to the presence of mineral salts, 1650s; of consonants, 1775. Hard of hearing preserves obsolete Middle English sense of "having difficulty in doing something." In the sense "strong, spiritous, fermented" from 1789 (as in hard cider, etc.), and this use probably is the origin of that in hard drugs (1955). Hard facts is from 1853; hard news in journalism is from 1918. Hard copy (as opposed to computer record) is from 1964; hard disk is from 1978; the computer hard drive is from 1983. Hard times "period of poverty" is from 1705. Hard money (1706) is specie, silver or gold coin, as opposed to paper. Hence 19c. U.S. hard (n.) "one who advocates the use of metallic money as the national currency" (1844). To play hard to get is from 1945. Hard rock as a pop music style recorded from 1967. To do something the hard way is from 1907.

hardness (n.)

Old English heardnes; see hard (adj.) + -ness. Meaning "difficulty of action or accomplishment" is late 14c.

hard (adv.)

Old English hearde "firmly, severely," from hard (adj.). Meaning "with effort or energy, with difficulty" is late 14c.

hard-ass (adj.)

"tough, uncompromising," 1961, from hard (adj.) + ass (n.2). Probably originally military. As a noun, "tough, uncompromising person," from 1967. Old Hard Ass is said to have been a nickname of Gen. George A. Custer (1839-1876) among his cavalry troops because of his seeming tirelessness in the saddle.

hardback (n.)

"type of book bound in stiff boards," 1954, from hard (adj.) + back (n.).

hardball (n.)

1883 as the name of a game, from hard (adj.) + ball (n.1). The figurative sense of "tough, uncompromising behavior" is from 1973.

hard-bitten (adj.)

"tough, tough in a fight," literally "given to hard biting," 1715, originally of hunting dogs, from hard (adv.) + bitten, with the past participle used actively (as in free-spoken).

hard-boiled (adj.)

also hardboiled, 1723 in reference to eggs, "cooked so long as to be solid," from hard (adj.) + past tense of boil. In transferred sense "severe, tough," from 1886.

hardcore

also hard-core; 1936 (n.); 1951 (adj.); from hard (adj.) + core (n.). Original use seems to be among economists and sociologists, in reference to unemployables. Extension to pornography is attested by 1966. Also the name of a surfacing material.

hard-cover (adj.)

of books, 1949, from hard (adj.) + cover (n.).

hardener (n.)

1610s, from harden + -er (1).

hardened (adj.)

past-participle adjective from harden (v.). Figurative sense of "unfeeling" is from late 14c.

harden (n.)

c. 1200, transitive, "make (something) hard," from hard (adj.) + -en (1). Intransitive meaning "to become hard" is late 14c. The earlier verb was simply hard, from Old English heardian. Related: Hardened; hardening.

hard-fought (adj.)

1660s, from hard (adv.) + fought.

hard hat (n.)

also hardhat, hard-hat, late 14c., "helmet," from hard (adj.) + hat (n.). From 1935 as "derby hat;" meaning "safety helmet" is from 1953; used figuratively for "construction worker" from 1970.

hard-headed (adj.)

also hardheaded, 1580s, "stubborn," from hardhead "dull person" (1510s), from hard (adj.) + -headed. Meaning "practical, shrewd" is attested from 1779. Compare Dutch hardhoofdig "stupid."

hard-hearted (adj.)

also hardhearted, "obdurate, unfeeling," c. 1200, heard-iheorted," from hard (adj.) + -hearted. Sometimes in Middle English also meaning "bold, courageous" (c. 1400). Related: Hard-heartedly; hard-heartedness. In late Old English and early Middle English, hard-heort meant both "hard-hearted" (adj.) and "hard-hearted person" (n.).

hardy (adj.)

c. 1200, "bold, daring, fearless," also "presumptuous, audacious," from Old French hardi "bold, brave, courageous; confident, presumptuous," from past participle of hardir "to harden, be or make bold," from Frankish *hardjan "to make hard" (source also of Old Frisian herda, Old High German herten, Old Norse herða, Gothic gahardjan "make hard"), from Proto-Germanic *hardu- (from PIE root *kar- "hard"). Sense influenced by English hard. Of plants, "able to survive in the open year-round," 1660s. Related: Hardily; hardiness. Hardhede "physical hardiness" is attested from early 15c.

hardihood (n.)

"quality or condition of being hardy," 1630s, from hardy + -hood.

hardly (adv.)

c. 1200, "in a hard manner, with great exertion or effort," from Old English heardlice "sternly, severely, harshly; bravely; excessively" (see hard (adj.) + -ly (2)). Hence "assuredly, certainly" (early 14c.). Main modern sense of "barely, just" (1540s) reverses this, via the intermediate meaning "not easily, with trouble" (early 15c.). Formerly with superficial negative (not hardly). Similar formation in Old Saxon hardliko, German härtlich, Old Danish haardelig.

hard-line (adj.)

"uncompromising," 1958, originally in reference to Soviet communist policies, from the noun phrase (see hard (adj.) + line (n.)) in the political sense. Related: Hard-liner (1963).

hard-nosed (adj.)

"stubborn," 1927, from hard (adj.) + nose (n.). Earlier of bullets or shells with hard tips, and of dogs that had difficulty following a scent. Not in common use before 1950s, when it begins to be applied to tough or relentless characters generally (Damon Runyon characters, U.S. Marines, Princeton professors, etc.). Soft-nosed seems to have been used only of bullets.

hard-on (n.)

"penile erection," 1922, earlier as an adjective (1893), from hard + on.

hardscrabble (n.)

in popular use from c. 1826 as a U.S. colloquial name for any barren or impoverished place "where a livelihood may be obtained only under great hardship and difficulty" [OED]; from hard (adj.) + noun from scrabble (v.). Noted in 1813 as a place-name in New York state; first recorded in journals of Lewis and Clark (1804) as the name of a prairie. Perhaps the original notion was "vigorous effort made under great stress," though this sense is recorded slightly later (1812). As an adjective by 1845.

hard-shell (adj.)

1838 of Baptists (figuratively); 1798 of clams; see hard (adj.) + shell (n.). Hard-shelled is from 1610s.

hardship (n.)

c. 1200, "quality of being hard" (obsolete), from hard (adj.) + -ship. Meaning "disadvantage, suffering, privation" is c. 1400.

hardtack (n.)

"ship's biscuit," 1830, from hard (adj.) + tack (n.3); soft-tack was soft wheaten bread.

hard-up (adj.)

"in difficulties," especially "short of money," 1821, slang; it was earlier a nautical expression, in reference to steering.

hardware (n.)

mid-15c., "small metal goods," from hard (adj.) + ware (n.). In the sense of "physical components of a computer" it dates from 1947. Hardware store attested by 1789.

hard-wired (adj.)

also hardwired, 1969, in computing, "with permanently connected circuits performing unchangeable functions;" transferred to human brains from 1971; from hard (adv.) + wire (v.).

hardwood (n.)

1560s, from hard (adj.) + wood (n.). That from deciduous trees, as distinguished from that from pines and firs. Bartlett ("Dictionary of Americanisms," 1848) defines it as "A term applied to woods of solid texture that soon decay, including generally, beech, birch, maple, ash, &c. Used by shipwrights and farmers in Maine, in opposition to oak and pine."

hard-working (adj.)

also hardworking, 1708, from hard (adv.) + working (adj.).

hare (n.)

Old English hara "hare," from Proto-West Germanic *hasan- (source also of Old Frisian hasa, Middle Dutch haese, Dutch haas, Old High German haso, German Hase), of uncertain origin; possibly the original sense was "gray" (compare Old English hasu, Old High German hasan "gray"), from PIE *khas- "gray" (source also of Latin canus "white, gray, gray-haired"). Perhaps cognate with Sanskrit sasah, Afghan soe, Welsh ceinach "hare." Rabbits burrow in the ground; hares do not.

hare (v.)

"to harry, harass," 1520s; meaning "to frighten" is 1650s; of uncertain origin; connections have been suggested to harry (v.) and to hare (n.). Related: Hared; haring.

hare-brained (adj.)

also harebrained, 1540s, from hare-brain "giddy or reckless person" (1540s), probably from hare (n.), on notion of "flighty, skittish."

Hare Krishna (adj.)

1970, from the title of a Hindu chant or mantra, from Hindi hare "O God!" + Krishna, name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu.

hare-lip (n.)

also harelip, 1560s, from hare (n.) + lip (n.). So called for resemblance.

harem (n.)

1630s, "part of a Middle Eastern house reserved for women," from Turkish harem, from Arabic haram "wives and concubines," originally "women's quarters," literally "something forbidden or kept safe," from root of harama "he guarded, forbade." From 1784 in English as "wives, female relatives and female slaves in a Middle Eastern household." The harem-skirt was introduced in fashion 1911. Harem pants attested from 1921; fashionable c. 1944. An earlier word for them (in a Middle Eastern/Balkan context) was bag-trousers (1849).

hark (v.)

c. 1200, from Old English *heorcian "to hearken, listen," perhaps an intensive form from base of hieran (see hear). Compare talk/tale. Cognate with Old Frisian harkia "listen," Middle Dutch horken, Old High German horechon, German horchen. Used as a hunting cry to call attention. To hark back (1817) originally referred to hounds returning along a track when the scent has been lost, till they find it again (1814). Related: Harked; harking.

harken (v.)

variant of hearken.

Harley

surname attested from mid-12c., literally "dweller at the hares' wood." Harley Street in London from the 1830s was associated with eminent physicians and used metonymically for "medical specialists collectively." As a type of motorcycle, by 1968, short for Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle manufacturer founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., 1905 by engine designer William S. Harley (1880-1943) and Arthur Davidson.

Harleian (adj.)

1744, from Latinized form of surname of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford (1661-1724) and his son Edward, in reference to the library of several thousand books and MSS they collected and sold in 1753 to the British Museum.

Harlem

Manhattan district, used figuratively for "African-American culture" by 1925. The N.Y. community was founded 1658 and originally named Nieuw Haarlem for Haarlem in Netherlands, which probably is from Dutch haar "height" + lem "silt," in reference to its position on a slight elevation on the banks of the Spaarne River. The black population grew rapidly in the decade after World War I. Related: Harlemese.

Harlemite (n.)

1890, from Harlem + -ite (1).

harlequin (n.)

1580s, Harlicken, one of the stock characters of Italian commedia dell'arte, from Italian Arlecchino or one of its variants (Arlechin, Arlechì, etc.)

A 19th century theory proposes it to be from Old French Herlequin, Hellequin, etc., leader of la maisnie Hellequin (the household of Hellequin) a troop of demons who rode the night air on horses. The English form of the name is Hurlewain.

However, the earliest depictions of Harlequin show him as a crass and bumbling servant character, rather than as a magical hero (as he had become in 19th century pantomime) which raises doubts about this proposed origin. The character is first recorded in a French text, but among other Italian characters, making an Italian origin not unlikely.

From his ludicrous dress comes the English adjective meaning "particolored" (1779).

harlot (n.)

c. 1200 (late 12c. in surnames), "vagabond, man of no fixed occupation, idle rogue," from Old French herlot, arlot "vagabond, tramp, vagrant; rascal, scoundrel," with cognates in Old Provençal (arlot), Old Spanish (arlote), and Italian (arlotto), but of unknown origin. Usually male in Middle English and Old French. Used in positive as well as pejorative senses by Chaucer; applied in Middle English to jesters, buffoons, jugglers, later to actors. Secondary sense of "prostitute, unchaste woman" probably had developed by 14c., certainly by early 15c., but this was reinforced by its use euphemistically for "strumpet, whore" in 16c. English translations of the Bible. The word may be Germanic, with an original sense of "camp follower," if the first element is hari "army," as some suspect.

harlotry (n.)

late 14c., "loose, crude, or obscene behavior; sexual immorality; ribald talk or jesting," from harlot + -ry.

harmful (adj.)

mid-14c., from harm (n.) + -ful. Related: Harmfully. Old English had hearmful but the modern word probably is a Middle English formation.

harm (v.)

Old English hearmian "to hurt, injure," from the noun (see harm (n.)). It has ousted Old English skeþþan (see scathe (v.)) in all but a few senses. Related: Harmed; harming.

harm (n.)

Old English hearm "hurt, pain; evil, grief; insult," from Proto-Germanic *harmaz (source also of Old Saxon harm, Old Norse harmr "grief, sorrow," Old Frisian herm "insult; pain," Old High German harm, German Harm "grief, sorrow, harm"), from PIE *kormo- "pain." To be in harm's way is from 1660s.

harmless (adj.)

c. 1300, "uninjured," from harm (n.) + -less. Meaning "without power or disposition to harm" is from 1530s. Related: Harmlessly; harmlessness.

harmonics (n.)

also harmonicks, 1650s, from harmonic; also see -ics.

harmonic (adj.)

1560s, "relating to music," from Latin harmonicus, from Greek harmonikos "harmonic, musical, skilled in music," from harmonia (see harmony). From 1660s as "tuneful, harmonious; relating to harmony" (earlier as armonical "tuneful, harmonious," c. 1500). The noun, short for harmonic tone, is recorded from 1777. Related: Harmonically.

harmonize (v.)

late 15c., "play or sing in harmony," from French harmoniser (15c.), from Old French harmonie (see harmony). Meaning "be in harmony (with), go well together" is from 1620s. Transitive sense "bring into harmony" is from 1700; figurative sense "bring into agreement" is from 1767. Meaning "add harmony to (a melody)" is from 1790. Related: Harmonized; harmonizing.

harmonization (n.)

1772, noun of action from harmonize.

harmony (n.)

late 14c., "combination of tones pleasing to the ear," from Old French harmonie, armonie "harmony," also the name of a musical instrument (12c.), from Latin harmonia, from Greek harmonia "agreement, concord of sounds," also as a proper name, the personification of music, literally "means of joining," used of ship-planks, etc., also "settled government, order," related to harmos "fastenings of a door; joint, shoulder," from PIE ar(ə)-smo-, suffixed form of root *ar- "to fit together." Modern scientific harmony, using combinations of notes to form chords, is from 16c. Sense of "agreement of feeling, concord" is from late 14c.

harmonious (adj.)

1520s, "sounding together tunefully," from French harmonieux (14c.), from harmonie (see harmony). In nonmusical use from 1630s. Related: Harmoniously; harmoniousness.

harmonica (n.)

1762, coined by Ben Franklin as the name for a glass harmonica, from Latin fem. of harmonicus (see harmonic); modern sense of "reeded mouth organ" is 1873, American English, earlier harmonicon (1825).

harmonist (n.)

1742, "one skilled in musical harmony," from harmony + -ist. Also "writer who 'harmonizes' the parallel narratives of the Gospel" (1713) and "member of a communistic religious movement in Pennsylvania" (1824). From the former comes harmonistics (1859).

harmonium (n.)

keyboard instrument, a kind of reed-organ popular late 19c. in homes and smaller churches, 1847, from French harmonium, from Greek harmonia (see harmony). Harmonium-like instruments predate the improved version patented 1840 in France by Alexandre Debain, who gave it the name.

Harold

masc. proper name, Old Norse Haraldr, Old Danish, Old Swedish Harald, from Proto-Germanic *harja-waldaz "army commander." For first element, see harry; second element is related to Proto-Germanic *waldan, source of Old English wealdan (from PIE root *wal- "to be strong"). The name shares an etymology with herald (n.).

harp (n.)

Old English hearpe "harp, stringed musical instrument played with the fingers," from Proto-Germanic *harpon- (source also of Old Saxon harpa "instrument of torture;" Old Norse harpa, Dutch harp, Old High German harpfa, German Harfe "harp") of uncertain origin. Late Latin harpa, source of words in some Romanic languages (Italian arpa, Spanish arpa, French harpe), is a borrowing from Germanic. Meaning "harmonica" is from 1887, short for mouth-harp. The harp seal (1784) is so called for the harp-shaped markings on its back.

harp (v.)

Old English hearpian "to play on a harp;" see harp (n.). Cognate with Middle Dutch, Dutch harpen, Middle High German harpfen, German harfen. Figurative sense of "talk overmuch" (about something), "dwell exclusively on one subject" first recorded mid-15c. Related: Harped; harping.

harper (n.)

Old English hearpere "one who plays the harp," agent noun from harp (v.). As a surname from late 12c. Compare Middle High German harpfære, German Harfner.

harpy (n.)

winged monster of ancient mythology, late 14c., from Old French harpie (14c.), from Latin harpyia, from Greek Harpyia (plural), literally "snatchers," which is probably related to harpazein "to snatch" (see rapid (adj.)). Metaphoric extension to "repulsively greedy person" is c. 1400.

harpist (n.)

"one who plays the harp," 1610s, a hybrid from Germanic harp (n.) + Greek -ist.

harpoon (n.)

1610s, from French harpon, from Old French harpon "cramp iron, clamp, clasp" (described as a mason's tool for fastening stones together), from harper "to grapple, grasp," which is of uncertain origin. It is possibly of Germanic origin; or the French word might be from Latin harpa "hook" (related to harpagonem "grappling hook"), from Greek harpe "sickle," from PIE root *serp- (1) "sickle, hook." Earlier word for it was harping-iron (mid-15c.). Sense and spelling perhaps influenced by Dutch (compare Middle Dutch harpoen) or Basque, the language of the first European whaling peoples, who often accompanied English sailors on their early expeditions. Also see -oon.

harpoon (v.)

1747, from harpoon (n.). Related: Harpooned; harpooning. Agent-noun form harpooner is from 1726; harpooneer from 1610s.

harpsichord (n.)

1610s, from French harpechorde "harp string," from Modern Latin harpichordium (source also of Italian arpicordo), from harpa (see harp (n.)) + chorda "string" (see cord). The unexplained, unetymological -s- in the English word is there by 1660s.

Harris

surname, attested from c. 1400 (Harrys), from "Harry," the popular pronunciation of Henry. As a type of tweed (1892), it is from the name of the southern section of the island of Lewis with Harris in the Outer Hebrides; originally it referred to fabric produced by the inhabitants there, later a proprietary name. That place name represents Gaelic na-h-earaidh "that which is higher," in comparison to the lower Lewis. Harrisburg, capital of Pennsylvania, is named for ferryman John Harris (1727-1791), son of the original European settler.

harry (v.)

Old English hergian "make war, lay waste, ravage, plunder," the word used in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for what the Vikings did to England, from Proto-Germanic *harjon (source also of Old Frisian urheria "lay waste, ravage, plunder," Old Norse herja "to make a raid, to plunder," Old Saxon and Old High German herion, German verheeren "to destroy, lay waste, devastate"). This is literally "to overrun with an army," from Proto-Germanic *harjan "an armed force" (source also of Old English here, Old Norse herr "crowd, great number; army, troop," Old Saxon and Old Frisian heri, Dutch heir, Old High German har, German Heer, Gothic harjis "a host, army").

The Germanic words come from PIE root *korio- "war" also "war-band, host, army" (source also of Lithuanian karas "war, quarrel," karias "host, army;" Old Church Slavonic kara "strife;" Middle Irish cuire "troop;" Old Persian kara "host, people, army;" Greek koiranos "ruler, leader, commander"). Weakened sense of "worry, goad, harass" is from c. 1400. Related: Harried; harrying.

Harry

masc. proper name, a familiar form of Henry. Weekley takes the overwhelming number of Harris and Harrison surnames as evidence that "Harry," not "Henry," was the Middle English pronunciation of Henry. Compare Harriet, English equivalent of French Henriette, fem. diminutive of Henri.

harridan (n.)

1700, "one that is half Whore, half Bawd" ["Dictionary of the Canting Crew"]; "a decayed strumpet" [Johnson], probably from French haridelle "a poore tit, or leane ill-favored jade," [Cotgrave's French-English dictionary, 1611], attested in French from 16c., a word of unknown origin.

harrier (n.)

"small hunting dog," 1540s, from Middle English hayrer, eirer (c. 1400) in the same sense, which is of uncertain origin. Possibly from French errier "wanderer" [Barnhart, Middle English Compendium], or associated with hare (n.), which they would have hunted. Influenced by harry (v.). The hawk genus (1550s) is from harry (v.).

Harriet

fem. proper name, fem. of Harry.

Nautical slang Harriet Lane "preserved meat" (1896) is the name of the victim of a notorious murder in which it was alleged the killer chopped up her body.

harrow (v.2)

"to ravage, despoil," especially in harrowing of Hell in Christian theology, early 14c., from Old English hergian "to ravage, plunder; seize, capture" (see harry (v.)). Related: Harrowed; harrowing.

harrow (n.)

agricultural implement, heavy wooden rake, c. 1300, haru, probably from an unrecorded Old English *hearwa, apparently related to Old Norse harfr "harrow," and perhaps connected with harvest (n.). Or possibly from hergian (see harry (v.)).

harrow (v.1)

"to drag a harrow over, break or tear with a harrow," c. 1300, from harrow (n.). In the figurative sense of "wound the feelings, distress greatly" it is first attested c. 1600 in Shakespeare. Related: Harrowed; harrowing.

harrowing (adj.)

"extremely distressing, painful," 1799 (implied in harrowingly), from present participle of harrow (v.).

harrumph

representing the sound of clearing the throat or a disapproving noise, 1918, imitative. Related: Harrumphed; harrumphing.

harsh (adj.)

originally of texture, "hairy," 1530s, probably from Middle English harske "rough, coarse, sour" (c. 1300), a northern word of Scandinavian origin (compare Danish and Norwegian harsk "rancid, rank"), related to Middle Low German harsch "rough, raw," German harst "a rake;" perhaps from PIE root *kars- "to scrape, scratch, rub, card" (source also of Lithuanian karšiu, karšti "to comb," Old Church Slavonic krasta, Russian korosta "scab," Latin carduus "thistle," Sanskrit kasati "rubs, scratches"). Meaning "offensive to feelings" is from 1570s; that of "disagreeable, rude" from 1610s.