An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/heißen

by Friedrich Kluge

heißen, vb., ‘to bid, command, be called, signify,’ from MidHG. heiȥen, OHG. heiȥȥan, ‘to name, be named, be called, command, promise’; the passive sense, ‘to be named, nominari,’ did not orig. belong to the active, but only to the Goth. and AS. passive form. AS. hâtan, ‘to name, promise,’ hâtte, ‘I am called’ and ‘I was called’; OIc. heita, ‘to name, be named, promise, vow’; Goth. haitan, a redupl. vb., ‘to name, appoint, call, invite, command,’ in the pass. ‘to be named.’ A common Teut. vb. with the prim. sense ‘to call any one by name, to name,’ No words undoubtedly allied to the Teut. root hait, from pre-Teut. kaid, exist in the non-Teut. languages. See anheischig.