*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of hem

A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
intj

Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.

noun

An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.

verb

To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

A sound uttered in imitation of clearing the throat (onomatopoeia)

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "onomatopoeia"
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        "Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound."
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        "An utterance or sound of the voice like \"hem\", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention."
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        "To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To make a hem. · To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something. · To shut in, enclose, confine; to surround something or someone in a confining way.

noun

The border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying. · A rim or margin of something. · In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English hem, hemm, in turn from Old English hem, of West Germanic origin, from Proto-West Germanic *hammjan from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną. Related to Middle High German hemmen (“to hem in”), Old Norse hemja (“to hem in, restrain”); outside of Germanic, to Armenian քամել (kʻamel, “to press, wring”), Russian ком (kom, “lump”). The verb is from Middle English hemmen, from Old English hemman, from Proto-Germanic *hamjaną, or alternatively derived from the noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhemenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhemang
  • Inherited-form mention*hammjangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*hamjanągem-pro
  • Cognate mentionhemmengmh · to hem in
  • Cognate mentionhemjanon · to hem in, restrain
  • Cognate mentionքամելhy · to press, wring
  • Cognate mentionкомru · lump
  • Inherited-form mentionhemmenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhemmanang
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "rim"
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        "1": "non",
        "2": "hemja",
        "t": "to hem in, restrain"
      },
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    },
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        "1": "hy",
        "2": "քամել",
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      },
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    },
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      "hem",
      "hem#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "hemm",
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    ],
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      "hem",
      "hem#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*hammjan",
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    ],
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      "hemmen",
      "hemmen#Middle_High_German"
    ],
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      "hemja",
      "hemja#Old_Norse"
    ],
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      "քամել",
      "քամել#Armenian"
    ],
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      "ком",
      "ком#Russian"
    ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
pron

Obsolete form of 'em.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English hem, from Old English heom (“them”, dative), originally a dative plural form but in Middle English coming to serve as an accusative plural as well. More at 'em.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhemenm
  • Inherited-form mentionheomang · them
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
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        "3": "enm:hem<id:pronoun>",
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      },
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for hem →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aGVt