hie

See also: hīe and hiē

English

WOTD – 12 November 2010

Alternative forms

• heye, high (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English hien, hyen, highen, heiȝen, hiȝen, from Old English hīgian (“to hie, hasten, strive”), from Proto-West Germanic *hīgōn, from Proto-Germanic *hīgōną (“to breathe, snort”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱēygʰ- (“swift, fierce, violent”).

Cognate with Dutch hijgen (“to pant”), German heichen (“to choke, gasp for breath”), Danish hige (“to aspire, long”), Latin cieō (“set in motion, invoke, provoke”), Ancient Greek κινέω (kinéō, “move, set in motion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophones: hi, Hi, high

Verb

hie (third-person singular simple present hies, present participle hying or hieing, simple past and past participle hied)

1. (intransitive, poetic) To hasten; to go quickly, to hurry.
   • 1599, “Fair Phyllis”, John Farmer (music):

     But after her lover Amyntas hied.

   • 1605, “Rest Sweet Nymphs”, Francis Pilkington (music):

     Hath pleased you, and eased you, and sweet slumber seized you. And now to bed I hie.

   • 1717, William Congreve, Samuel Croxall, John Dryden, Laurence Eusden, John Ozell, “Book X”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     The youth, returning to his mistress, hies.

   • 1781, Horace Walpole, The Mysterious Mother, Act 1 Scene 2:

     At break of morn she hies to yonder abbey

2. (reflexive, poetic) To hurry (oneself).
   • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     My husband hies him home.

   • 1906, O. Henry, A Cosmopolite in a Café:

     Some have conjectured hastily that all Southerners in town hie themselves to cafés at nightfall.

3. (transitive) To urge (a horse) to the left with a cry of "hie".

   Antonym: hup

Usage notes

Unlike most reflexive verbs, “hie” generally takes the simple object pronouns rather than the reflexive pronouns. Thus “we hied us” and “hie you,” rather than “we hied ourselves” and “hie yourself.” This peculiarity most likely arises from a sense that the poetic connotations of “hie” accord well with the archaic practice of using object pronouns with reflexive verbs.

Derived terms

• overhie

Translations

to go in haste

• Albanian: nxitim (sq)

  Gheg Albanian: përgut

• Czech: spěchat (cs) impf
• Finnish: kiirehtiä (fi), kiiruhtaa (fi)
• French: se hâter (fr), se dépêcher (fr)
• German: eilen (de)
• Hungarian: siet (hu), igyekszik (hu)
• Italian: affrettarsi (it)
• Russian: спешить (ru) (spešitʹ), торопи́ться (ru) (toropítʹsja)
• Spanish: apresurarse (es), darse prisa (es)

to hurry (oneself)

• Albanian: nxitoj (sq), gutem
• Spanish: apresurarse (es), darse prisa (es)

Interjection

hie

1. (dialect) A call to turn a horse to the left.

   Antonym: hup

   Coordinate terms: gee, haw

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “hie”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “hy, n.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from William A[lexander] Craigie, A[dam] J[ack] Aitken [et al.], editors, A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue: […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1931–2002, →OCLC.
• “hie | hy, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• hei

Albanian

Noun

hie f (plural hie, definite hia, definite plural hiet)

1. alternative form of hije

Finnish

Etymology

hioa (“to grind, sand, polish”) +‎ -e

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhie̯ˣ/, [ˈhie̞̯(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -ie
• Syllabification^(key): hie
• Hyphenation^(key): hie

Noun

hie

1. microsection (extremely thin slice of stone, metal or other hard material prepared for microscopic inspection)
2. (rare) the quality of grinding, degree of sharpness

   Kirveen terä on hyvässä hieessä.

   The blade of the ax is well ground. (i.e. sharp)

Declension

Inflection of hie (Kotus type 48/hame, no gradation)
nominative		hie	hieet
genitive		hieen	hieiden hieitten
partitive		hiettä	hieitä
illative		hieeseen	hieisiin hieihin
		singular	plural
nominative		hie	hieet
accusative	nom.	hie	hieet
	gen.	hieen
genitive		hieen	hieiden hieitten
partitive		hiettä	hieitä
inessive		hieessä	hieissä
elative		hieestä	hieistä
illative		hieeseen	hieisiin hieihin
adessive		hieellä	hieillä
ablative		hieeltä	hieiltä
allative		hieelle	hieille
essive		hieenä	hieinä
translative		hieeksi	hieiksi
abessive		hieettä	hieittä
instructive		—	hiein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of hie (Kotus type 48/hame, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hieeni hieeni accusative nom. hieeni hieeni gen. hieeni genitive hieeni hieideni hieitteni partitive hiettäni hieitäni inessive hieessäni hieissäni elative hieestäni hieistäni illative hieeseeni hieisiini hieihini adessive hieelläni hieilläni ablative hieeltäni hieiltäni allative hieelleni hieilleni essive hieenäni hieinäni translative hieekseni hieikseni abessive hieettäni hieittäni instructive — — comitative — hieineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hieesi hieesi accusative nom. hieesi hieesi gen. hieesi genitive hieesi hieidesi hieittesi partitive hiettäsi hieitäsi inessive hieessäsi hieissäsi elative hieestäsi hieistäsi illative hieeseesi hieisiisi hieihisi adessive hieelläsi hieilläsi ablative hieeltäsi hieiltäsi allative hieellesi hieillesi essive hieenäsi hieinäsi translative hieeksesi hieiksesi abessive hieettäsi hieittäsi instructive — — comitative — hieinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hieemme hieemme accusative nom. hieemme hieemme gen. hieemme genitive hieemme hieidemme hieittemme partitive hiettämme hieitämme inessive hieessämme hieissämme elative hieestämme hieistämme illative hieeseemme hieisiimme hieihimme adessive hieellämme hieillämme ablative hieeltämme hieiltämme allative hieellemme hieillemme essive hieenämme hieinämme translative hieeksemme hieiksemme abessive hieettämme hieittämme instructive — — comitative — hieinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hieenne hieenne accusative nom. hieenne hieenne gen. hieenne genitive hieenne hieidenne hieittenne partitive hiettänne hieitänne inessive hieessänne hieissänne elative hieestänne hieistänne illative hieeseenne hieisiinne hieihinne adessive hieellänne hieillänne ablative hieeltänne hieiltänne allative hieellenne hieillenne essive hieenänne hieinänne translative hieeksenne hieiksenne abessive hieettänne hieittänne instructive — — comitative — hieinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative hieensä hieensä accusative nom. hieensä hieensä gen. hieensä genitive hieensä hieidensä hieittensä partitive hiettään hiettänsä hieitään hieitänsä inessive hieessään hieessänsä hieissään hieissänsä elative hieestään hieestänsä hieistään hieistänsä illative hieeseensä hieisiinsä hieihinsä adessive hieellään hieellänsä hieillään hieillänsä ablative hieeltään hieeltänsä hieiltään hieiltänsä allative hieelleen hieellensä hieilleen hieillensä essive hieenään hieenänsä hieinään hieinänsä translative hieekseen hieeksensä hieikseen hieiksensä abessive hieettään hieettänsä hieittään hieittänsä instructive — — comitative — hieineen hieinensä

Synonyms

• (degree of sharpness): terä

Derived terms

compounds

• ohuthie
• pintahie

Further reading

• “hie”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Anagrams

• hei

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch heie, related to the verb heien (“to drive into the ground”).

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /i/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Homophones: y, hies, hient

Noun

hie f (plural hies)

1. stamping/ramming rod

Related terms

• hier

Further reading

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

German

Etymology

From Middle High German hie, hī, from Old High German hie, byform of hier, from Proto-West Germanic *hēr. The form shows loss of word-final /r/ after a diphthong or long vowel, which was a Late Old High German development (cf. da, eh(e), wo).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hiː/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adverb

hie

1. (dated in hie und da, otherwise archaic) alternative form of hier (“here”)

Derived terms

• hiebei
• hiedurch
• hiefür
• hiegegen
• hieher
• hienach
• hieoben
• hiesig
• hieunten
• hievon

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German hie, from Old High German hiar, from Proto-West Germanic *hēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hiː/

Adverb

hie

1. here

   Er is fun hie.

   He is from here.

Synonyms

• do
• hier

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “hie”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish (du)·choaid, lenited form of du·coaid, perfect tense of téit (“to go”). Cognate with Irish chuaigh, Scottish Gaelic chaidh, and Classical Gaelic do-chuaidh.

Verb

hie

1. past of immee

Middle English

Etymology 1

Pronoun

hie

1. alternative form of he (“he”)

Etymology 2

Pronoun

hie

1. (chiefly Southeast Midland) alternative form of ye (“ye”)

Etymology 3

Pronoun

hie

1. alternative form of heo (“she”)

Etymology 4

Pronoun

hie

1. alternative form of he (“they”)

Etymology 5

Verb

hie

1. alternative form of hyen

Middle Low German

Pronunciation

• Stem vowel: ê⁴
  • IPA^(key): /hiə/, /hiɛ/

Pronoun

hie

1. alternative form of hê

Old Dutch

Etymology

From earlier hē, from Proto-West Germanic *hiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hiz.

Pronoun

hie

1. he

Declension

Old Dutch personal pronouns

			nominative	accusative	dative	genitive
singular	first person		ik, ic, ih	mī, mik, *mic	mī	mīn
	second person		thu, tu	thī, thik, *thic	thī	thīn
	third person	neuter	it		imo	is
		masculine	hē, hie	imo		sīn, is
		feminine	sia		iro
plural	first person		wī, wīr	uns, unsig		unsa, *unser
	second person		gī, ir	iu		iuwa, *iuwer
	third person		sia, sie (masc. plur.)		im	iro

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: hi
  • Dutch: hij, ie
  • Limburgish: hae

Further reading

• “hi”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Alternative forms

• hī, hīġ, hȳ
• ᚻᛁᚫ (hiæ) — Franks Casket

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xi͜yː/, [hi͜yː], /ˈxiː.e/, [ˈhiː.e]
• Rhymes: -i͜yː

Etymology 1

Reflecting an earlier regularised form of *hijai, from Proto-West Germanic *hiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hīz (“these, these ones”), masculine plural of *hiz.

Pronoun

hīe (accusative hīe, genitive heora, dative him)

1. they
   • 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 30‎^[2]:

     Þonne iċ mec onhebbe ond hī onhnīgaþ tō mē, moniġe mid miltse, þǣr iċ monnum sceal īċan upcyme ēadiġnesse.

     When I raise myself up and they bow down to me, many with mercy, then I shall increase rising of happiness for men.

Usage notes

• Metrical evidence from poetry, etymology, and the occurrence of the hīe spelling in dialects that lacked the ie/īe diphthong (which was exclusive to the Early West Saxon dialect) indicate that the īe sequence in this word was originally not a diphthong, but pronounced phonetically as two separate vowels in hiatus, as per the second pronunciation above. This is also true of a few other words, like the present subjunctive forms of the verb wesan, sīe and sīen. The sequence must have merged with the diphthong in the later stages of the West Saxon dialect, resulting in the first pronunciation above, however, as the expected outcomes of the Early West Saxon diphthong in the Late West Saxon dialect (where it monophthongised to either /i(ː)/ or /y(ː)/) are reflected in later spellings like hī and hȳ.

Declension

Old English personal pronouns

			nominative	accusative	dative	genitive
singular	first person		iċ	mē, mec	mē	mīn
	second person		þū	þē, þec	þē	þīn
	third person	neuter	hit		him	his
		masculine	hē	hine
		feminine	hēo	hīe	hire
dual	first person		wit	unc, uncit	unc	uncer
	second person		ġit	inc, incit	inc	incer
plural	first person		wē	ūs, ūsiċ	ūs	ūre, ūser
	second person		ġē	ēow, ēowiċ	ēow	ēower
	third person		hīe		him	heora

Descendants

• Middle English: he
  • Yola: hi, h'

Etymology 2

Pronoun

hīe

1. accusative of hēo: her

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian hī. Cognates include West Frisian hy and Dutch hij.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hi/
• Hyphenation: hie
• Rhymes: -i

Pronoun

hie (oblique him)

1. he

See also

Saterland Frisian personal pronouns

			subject case		object case
			stressed	unstressed
singular	1st		iek		mie
	2nd		du		die
	3rd	m	hie	er	him
		f	ju	ze	hier
		n	dät	et	dät
plural	1st		wie		uus
	2nd		jie		jou
	3rd		jo	ze	hier

References

• Marron C. Fort (2015), “hie”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Scots

Noun

hie (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Haste; diligence.
   • a. 1500, “The Taill of Rauf Coilyear”, in David Laing, editor, Select Remains of the Ancient Popular Poetry of Scotland, Edinburgh: Balfour and Clarke, published 1822, page 44:

     Of his harnes in hy, he hynt withoutin hone / And in ane Rob him arrayit richeſt of ane

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1513, Virgil, translated by Gavin Douglas, edited by John Small, Aeneid [The Bukes of Eneados of the Famose Poete Virgill], Edinburgh: William Paterson, published 1874, pages 87–88:

     With thir wourdis he answerd me in hy: / The latter day is cumin of Dardanis end, / The fatale tyme quam na waling ma mend;

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1572, Robert Sempill, “The Lamentatioun of Lady Scotland, &c.”, in The Sempill Ballates, Edinburgh: Thomas George Stevenson, published 1872, page 170:

     Quhilk quhen thay saw, with speid thay ran in hy, […]

     Which when they saw, wih speed they ran in haste

   • a. 1597, Alexander Montgomery, edited by David Irving, The Poems of Alexander Montgomery, Edinburgh: James Ballantyne and Co., published 1821, page 168:

     The quhilk but dowt wil be my deid / In hy, / For every man obtenis remeid, / Bot I.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Adverb

hie

1. high
   • 1874, The Jacobite Relics of Scotland, page 164:

     It strack the righteous to the ground, / And lifted the destroyer hie.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Yola

Adjective

hie

1. alternative form of heigh
   • 1867, OBSERVATIONS BY THE EDITOR, page 18:

     Nich th' hie thoras o' Culpake.

     [Nigh to the high thorns of Colepeak.]

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 18