An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Haß

by Friedrich Kluge

Haß, m., from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. haȥ, (gen. haȥȥes), m., ‘hatred’; in OHG. the older neut. gender occurs once (comp. Goth. hatis, n., Scand. hatr, n.); AS. hęte (E. hate) and OSax. hęti are also masc.; the common Teut. term for ‘hate,’ pointing to pre-Teut. kodos, kodesos (Lat. *codus, *coderis), n. ModHG. Hader, and Gr. κότος, may also be allied, since an Aryan root kō̆t, kō̆d, is possible. The orig. sense of Haß is indicated by Haß and heßen, as well as the wk. vb. hassen, from MidHG. haȥȥen, OHG. haȥȥęn, haȥȥôn, which in OHG. also means ‘to pursue’ (OSax. hatôn, ‘to waylay’). Haft too seems allied; hence the prim. meaning of Haß is probably ‘hostile, hasty pursuit.’ —