hein

See also: héin and Hein

Dutch

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch hein, from the verb heinen (“to physically demarcate lands”) (modern heinen, also omheinen).

Noun

hein m (plural heinen, diminutive heintje n)

1. physical demarcation between fields or yards, like a fence, wall or ditch

Derived terms

• ijzerenheinig

Related terms

• haag, heg, hagen, behagen, omhagen
• heinen, heining, omheinen, omheining

Etymology 2

Noun

hein m (plural heinen, diminutive heintje n)

1. skinny person
2. skinny horse
3. personification of death

Derived terms

• Magere Hein

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *haina, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *śaina-. Cognate with Lithuanian šienas, Proto-Slavic *sěno.

Noun

hein (genitive heina, partitive heina)

1. hay

Declension

Declension of hein (type hein)

	singular	plural
nominative	hein	heinad
genitive	heina	heinte / heinade
partitive	heina	heinu / heinasid
illative	heina / heinasse	heintesse / heinadesse
inessive	heinas	heintes / heinades
elative	heinast	heintest / heinadest
allative	heinale	heintele / heinadele
adessive	heinal	heintel / heinadel
ablative	heinalt	heintelt / heinadelt
translative	heinaks	heinteks / heinadeks
terminative	heinani	heinteni / heinadeni
essive	heinana	heintena / heinadena
abessive	heinata	heinteta / heinadeta
comitative	heinaga	heintega / heinadega

Derived terms

• kastehein
• heinakuu

Finnish

Noun

hein

1. instructive plural of he (“a letter in some Semitic alphabets”)

Anagrams

• hien

French

Etymology

From earlier hen, heim, from Latin hem (“eh?”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Interjection

hein

1. huh, hey, eh
   • 1968, Serge Gainsbourg, “Bonnie and Clyde”, in Initials B.B., performed by Serge Gainsbourg ft. Brigitte Bardot:

     Ça vous a plu, hein ? Vous en d'mandez encore / Eh bien, écoutez l'histoire de Bonnie and Clyde

     You liked it, did you? You want more / Well then, listen to the story of Bonnie and Clyde

Further reading

• “hein”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Ludian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *haina.

Noun

hein

1. hay

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• ᚺᛡᛁᚾ (ʜᴀin)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Norse *ᚺᚨᛁᚾᚢ (*hainu). Cognate with Old English hān (English hone).

Noun

hein

1. whetstone

Declension

Declension of hein (strong ō-stem, ar and ir-plurals)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hein	heinin	heinar, heinir	heinarnar, heinirnar
accusative	hein	heinina	heinar, heinir	heinarnar, heinirnar
dative	hein	heininni	heinum	heinunum
genitive	heinar	heinarinnar	heina	heinanna

Descendants

• Icelandic: hein, heini

Further reading

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “hein”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• “hein” in Dictionary of Old Norse Prose (ONP) at University of Copenhagen

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• hem (dated)
• eim, heim (rare)
• em (misspelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin hem (“eh?”). Compare French hein.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈẽj̃/ [ˈẽɪ̯̃]

• Homophone: em (Brazil)

Interjection

hein?

1. (Brazil) huh? hm? (reinforces a question)

   Onde é que você estava, hein? ― Where were you?

   Qual foi? Hein? ― What’s your problem? Hmm?

2. (Brazil, at the end of a sentence) huh? eh? (creates a tag question)

   Synonyms: né?, foi?

   Então você gostou, hein? ― So you liked it, eh?

3. (Brazil, only by itself) huh? (expresses confusion)

   Synonym: hã?

   Hein? Ela fez o quê?! ― Huh? She did what?!

4. (Brazil, only by itself) huh? (used when one didn’t hear something)

   Synonyms: hã?, como?, oi?

   Hein? Fala mais alto. ― Huh? Speak up.

Usage notes

The spelling hein was abandoned with the first spelling reforms of Portuguese in favor of hem, presumably for faithfulness to etymology. However, this spelling is no longer proscribed and presently the most common spelling for the interjection; many new editions of 20th-century works have restored it.

Derived terms

• eu, hein

Further reading

• “hein”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “hein”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *haina.

Noun

hein

1. grass
2. hay

Inflection

Inflection of hein (inflection type 6/kuva)
nominative sing.	hein
genitive sing.	heinän
partitive sing.	heinäd
partitive plur.	heinid
	singular	plural
nominative	hein	heinäd
accusative	heinän	heinäd
genitive	heinän	heiniden
partitive	heinäd	heinid
essive-instructive	heinän	heinin
translative	heinäks	heinikš
inessive	heinäs	heiniš
elative	heinäspäi	heinišpäi
illative	heinähä	heinihe
adessive	heinäl	heinil
ablative	heinälpäi	heinilpäi
allative	heinäle	heinile
abessive	heinäta	heinita
comitative	heinänke	heinidenke
prolative	heinädme	heinidme
approximative I	heinänno	heinidenno
approximative II	heinännoks	heinidennoks
egressive	heinännopäi	heinidennopäi
terminative I	heinähäsai	heinihesai
terminative II	heinälesai	heinilesai
terminative III	heinässai	—
additive I	heinähäpäi	heinihepäi
additive II	heinälepäi	heinilepäi

Derived terms

• čapatezhein
• heinku
• heinlaineh
• heinnit
• heinänkuivadim
• heinännitim
• heinäntego
• hibuzhein
• hormhein
• imičhein
• kertihein
• kizʹuhein
• kortehein
• ludeghein
• maguhein
• omeghein
• porohein
• purdehein
• rujohein
• sohein
• tulleihein
• viluhein

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “сено, трава”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[1], Petrozavodsk: Periodika