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Today it means

happen

to occur or take place

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Where does the word "happen" come from? It comes from Old Norse happ, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

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Where does the word "happen" come from? It comes from Old Norse happ, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Happen’s story begins in Old Norse: happ meant “chance, luck.” Chance, luck, the root behind events occurring by chance. It reached English by 1300s as happen. Settled as the English word for an event occurring. Today, happen means to occur or take place.

  1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval happ "chance, luck", chance, luck, the root behind events occurring by chance.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s happen "to occur or take place", settled as the English word for an event occurring.

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