half

English Online Dictionary. What means half‎? What does half mean?

English

Alternative forms

• 'arf, ha'f
• halfe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, Northern England, General South African) IPA^(key): /hɑːf/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /haːf/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /hɐːf/

Rhymes: -ɑːf

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /hæf/
• (New York City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Baltimore) IPA^(key): /hɛəf/
• (Ireland, Scotland) IPA^(key): /haf/

Rhymes: -æf

Noun

half (plural halves)

1. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
   1. (sports) One of two equal periods into which a game is divided.

      Coordinate term: quarter

   2. (sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
2. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
   1. (British) half a pint of beer or cider. (Refusing a pint) Just a half, thank you. (Offering to top up a pint glass) Do you want a half in that? (Minimizing the amount of drink taken) A swift half at the Pear Tree.
   2. (liquor trade) A barrel measure of 27 gallons (half a hogshead).
3. (preceded by “a” or a number) The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.

   Synonym: ½

4. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
5. (slang) A half sibling.
6. (UK, dated) A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
7. (sports) abbreviated form for half marathon.
8. (numismatic slang) Clipping of half-dollar.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

half (not comparable)

1. Consisting of a half (½, 50%).

   Synonyms: semi-, hemi-, demi-

2. Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
3. (of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.

4. (of a relative other than a sibling) Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.

Usage notes

• (consisting of a half): The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound, half-hour.

Derived terms

See also those listed at Category:English terms prefixed with half-.

Descendants

• → Fiji Hindi: haafaa
• → Hawaiian: hapa
  • → English: hapa
• → Japanese: ハーフ (hāfu)
  • → English: hafu
• → Maori: hāwhe
• → Pitjantjatjara: aapa

Translations

Adverb

half (not comparable)

1. In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
2. In some part approximating a half.
3. Partially; imperfectly.
4. Practically, nearly.

Usage notes

• (approximating a half): The phrase half again expresses an amount in addition to the amount being compared to. E.g., half as many people refers to 50% of the original number, while half again as many people refers to 150% of the original number.

Synonyms

• (partially; imperfectly): halfly (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• not half

Verb

half (third-person singular simple present halves, present participle halving, simple past and past participle halved)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To halve.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bisect

Translations

Preposition

half

1. (UK, Ireland) Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.

   Synonym: (North America, Australia) half past

2. (Discuss⁽⁺⁾ this sense) (rare, see usage notes) A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.

Usage notes

In English, the first sense (half past) is the only sense in current use. The second sense (half-hour before) is almost exclusively used in reference to other cultural or linguistic backgrounds where a similar usage exists.

Interjection

half

1. (theater) A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.

References

• “half”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch half, from Old Dutch *half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Cognate with English half, German halb, West Frisian heal, Danish halv.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦɑlf/
• Hyphenation: half
• Rhymes: -ɑlf

Adjective

half (not comparable)

1. half
2. (with numbers) half before the next whole

   half tien

   half past nine (i.e. half of the tenth hour)

   anderhalf

   one and a half (half before two, with ander originally meaning second)

3. (with months) the middle of that month

   half maart

   mid-March

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Berbice Creole Dutch: halfu
• Negerhollands: half
• →? Sranan Tongo: afu (dated)
  • → Aukan: aloefoe
  • → Saramaccan: háfu, áfu

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /half/

Verb

half

1. first/third-person singular preterite of helfen

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English healf, half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Noun

half (plural halves or halfes or halven)

1. half
2. part; side; behalf

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

Alternative forms

• halfe, halph, alf, alfe, hælf, healf, healfe, elf, haf, hafe, halve, alve, hælve, helve

Adjective

half

1. half

Alternative forms

• healf (Early Middle English)

Adverb

half

1. half

Alternative forms

• elf

Descendants

• English: half (see there for further descendants)
• Scots: hauf
• Yola: halleef, halef, halluf

References

• “half, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “half, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “half, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old English

Adjective

half

1. Alternative form of healf

Old Saxon

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *halbu, from Proto-Germanic *halbō.

Noun

half f

1. side
   • 9th c. Heliand, verse 4389-4390

Declension

Anomalous, O-stem

Etymology 2

from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Adjective

half

1. half

Declension

References

• Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)