Etymology Map
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Hair

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the thread-like strands growing from the skin

Where does the word "hair" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic hērą, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hērą
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"hair"
German 'Haar' is a cousin
2
Stage 2 of 3
hǣr
Old English · 700s-1000s
"hair"
used for a single hair and for the whole head of hair
3
Stage 3 of 3
hair
English · 1500s
"hair"
'hair's breadth' as a tiny distance dates from the 1500s
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Read the full story

Hair’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hērą meant “hair.” German 'Haar' is a cousin. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as hǣr. Used for a single hair and for the whole head of hair. It reached English by 1500s as hair. 'hair's breadth' as a tiny distance dates from the 1500s. Today, hair means the thread-like strands growing from the skin.