hæþen

From Proto-Germanic *haiþinaz, probably a specifically Christian use of the base of *haiþī (“uncultivated land”).^[1]

Cognate to Old Frisian hêthin, hêthen, Old High German heidan, Old Norse heiðinn, Gothic *𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌽𐍃 (*haiþns, “gentile”) (attested as feminine 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌽𐍉 (haiþnō)). The Germanic word is primarily an adjective.

Perhaps influenced by Ancient Greek ἔθνος (éthnos, “nation, heathen”), via the loans from Greek in Coptic ϩⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ (hethnos) and/or Old Armenian հեթանոս (hetʻanos). The stem-vowel was influenced by haiþi (“heath”). See also Proto-Germanic *haiduz, Old Norse heiðr (honour, bright, moor), Icelandic heiður (honour, bright weather).

• hǣðen — edh spelling

• IPA^(key): /ˈxæː.θen/, [ˈhæː.ðen]

hǣþen

1. pagan, heathen
   • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

     An. DCCCLV Hēr hǣþene men ǣrest on Sċeapiġġe ofer winter sǣtan...⁊ þȳ ilcan ġēare [Aþelwulf cing] ferde to Rōme mid myċelre weorðnesse ⁊ þǣr wæs XII mōnoð wuniġende, ⁊ him þā hāmweard fōr ⁊ him þā Carl Francna cing his dohtor ġēaf him tō cwēne, ⁊ æfter þām tō his lēodum cōm...

     Year 855 In this year heathen men stayed on Sheppey over the winter for the first time...And in the same year [King Athelwulf] went to Rome with much honor, and stayed there for twelve months. And them he went home and King Carl [the Bald] of the Franks gave him his daughter as a queen, and after that Athelwulf returned to his people.

• hǣþendōm

• Middle English: hethen
  • English: heathen
  • Scots: haithen

From Proto-Germanic *hadinaz, *hidanaz (“skirt”) (compare *hōdaz (“hood”)).

• hæðen — edh spelling

• IPA^(key): /ˈxæ.θen/, [ˈhæ.ðen]

hæþen m

1. alternative form of heden

Strong a-stem: