hard etymology

Etymology

"Hard" is an adjective derived from the Old English word "heard," meaning "strong, tough, or difficult." This word comes from the Proto-West Germanic "harduz," which in turn developed from the Proto-Germanic "harduz."

Meaning

The primary meaning of "hard" is:

  • Resistant to deformation or penetration; not easily yielding or yielding only under great force.
  • Difficult or challenging to accomplish or overcome.

Origin

The origin of "hard" can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root "*krewd-," which originally meant "to harden" or "to dry up." This root is also found in other Indo-European languages, such as:

  • Latin: "credo" (to believe)
  • Greek: "kardos" (heart)
  • Sanskrit: "kardh" (to be hard)

Over time, the meaning of "heard" evolved to include not only physical hardness but also metaphorical concepts of difficulty or challenge.

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