heel English · revision 15455

+ Heel, the back of the foot, is a native word; heel, to lean over, is from a different Old English verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /hiːl/ ''(UK)''; /hil/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|back of the foot}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 850}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The heel of the foot is [[inh|enm|hele]], [[inh|ang|hēla]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gem-pro|*hanhilaz]], a diminutive,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) cognate with [[ofs|hēla]], [[nl|hiel]] and [[non|hæll]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) related to [[m|ang|hōh|t=heel]] (see [[hock]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 850 in the OED, about 800 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The back of a shoe or boot is from about 1400 in Etymonline, and the part of a stocking or shoe covering the heel is first recorded in Holinshed (1577–87) in Barnhart.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) In Middle English, ''to fight with one's heels'' meant to run away.^(Etymonline) ''Down at heels'', with worn shoes and too poor to replace them, is from 1732,^(Etymonline) and Achilles' heel from 1810.^(OED 1989) The verb, to furnish with a heel, is from 1605.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) Heeled, provided with money, as in ''well-heeled'', is American English from 1880, from the slang sense armed with a gun (1866, in Mark Twain).^(Barnhart 1988) A contemptible person is American underworld slang from 1914, at first an incompetent criminal, probably the lowest one,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and generalized by 1932, in Farrell's ''Studs Lonigan''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 850 – hēla.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1400 – the heel of a shoe.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1732 – down at heel.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1810 – Achilles' heel.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1880 – well-heeled.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1914 – a cad (slang).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The back part of the human foot below the ankle.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The part of a shoe, sock or stocking that covers or supports the heel.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(dated informal)'' A contemptible, untrustworthy person; a [[cad]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To fit a heel to a shoe.^(AHD)

+ # Of a dog, to follow close behind.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[well-heeled]]

+ * [[high heels]]

+ * [[heelless]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|lean over}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1575}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Heel, to lean, is an alteration of earlier [[m|en|hield]] (1559),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) itself [[inh|enm|helden|t=to fall, bend, lean]],^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|hyldan|t=to incline]] (also [[m|ang|hieldan]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) cognate with [[osx|heldian]] and [[dum|helden]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) The form heel probably arose from taking the -d of hield as a past-tense ending.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ About 1575 in Barnhart; the 16th century in Hoad.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun, an act of heeling or the amount a ship leans, is from 1760.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – hyldan.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1559 – hield.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1575 – heel.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1760 – a heel (noun).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # Of a ship, to lean over to one side, or to make it do so.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A tilt to one side.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hock]]

+ * [[Achilles' heel]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Irish and south-western English dialect, to heel meant to slope or lean over, or to tip a cart.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}