hebban

Old English

Alternative forms

heffan

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈxeb.bɑn/, [ˈheb.bɑn]
Rhymes: -eb.bɑn

Verb

hebban

to lift, raise

Conjugation

Conjugation of hebban (strong, class VI)

indicative mood	present tense	past tense
infinitive	hebban	hebbenne
first person singular	hebbe	hōf, hefde
second person singular	hefst	hōfe, hefdest
third person singular	hefþ	hōf, hefde
plural	hebbaþ	hōfon, hefdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	hebbe	hōfe, hefde
plural	hebben	hōfen, hefden
imperative
singular	hefe
plural	hebbaþ
participle	present	past
	hebbende	(ġe)hæfen, (ġe)hafen, (ġe)hefen, (ġe)hefed

Conjugation of hebban (strong class 6 Anglian)

🛈 This feature is under development and may not always produce the expected forms

indicative mood	present tense	past tense
infinitive	hebban¹	hebbenne, hebbanne
first person singular	hebbu, hebbe	hōf
second person singular	hefes³	hōfe³
third person singular	hefeþ²	hōf
plural	hebbaþ²	hōfun, hōfon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	hebbe	hōfe
plural	hebben¹	hōfen¹
imperative
singular	hefe
plural	hebbaþ²
participle	present	past
	hebbende	(ġe)hæfen, (ġe)hafen, (ġe)hefen

¹In Northumbrian, final -n was regularly lost from these forms
²In Late Northumbrian, final -þ was frequently changed to -s
³In Mercian, final -t was sometimes added to these forms due to West Saxon influence

Notes on Conjugation

The past-tense forms with ⟨hefd-⟩ and the past participle ġehefed were distinctly Late West Saxon.

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Middle English: heven, heve, hevene, hebbe, hebben (especially East Saxon, Southern, Southwest Midland), hefe, heffe, hevyn (Northern, Northwest Midland), heoven (AB language), hefenn (Ormulum), hewyn (Promptorium Parvulorum)
- English: heave (see there for further descendants)
- Middle Scots: heif, heve, heive
  - Scots: heive, heave, haive
- Yola: heve, hev