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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

heavy

/ˈhɛv.i/
Having great weight.

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English hevy, heviȝ, from Old English hefiġ, hefeġ, hæfiġ (“heavy; important, grave, severe, serious; oppressive, grievous; slow, dull”), from Proto-West Germanic *habīg (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Germanic *habīgaz (“heavy, hefty, weighty”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to take, grasp, hold”). Equivalent to heave + -y. Related to have.

    Cognate with Scots hevy, havy, heavy (“heavy”), Saterland Frisian heeuwich, häwich (“violent, angry”), West Frisian hevich (“violent”), Dutch hevig (“violent, severe, intense, acute”), German Low German hevig (“violent, fierce, intense, angry”), German hebig (compare heftig (“fierce, severe, intense, violent, heavy”)), Icelandic höfugur (“heavy, weighty, important”), Latin capāx (“large, wide, roomy, spacious, capacious, capable, apt”).

    Compare typologically Russian объёмный (obʺjómnyj), ёмкий (jómkij) (akin to име́ть (imétʹ), взять (vzjatʹ)).

    Etymology 2

    From heave + -y.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • partEnglishheave “To lift with difficulty; to raise with some effort; to lift (a heavy thing).”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishheven
        • inheritedOld Englishhebban
          • inheritedProto-West Germanic*habbjan
            • inheritedProto-Germanic*habjaną “to lift; to heave”
              • inheritedProto-Indo-European*kapyéti
                • partProto-Indo-European*-yéti
    • partEnglish-y “Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving…”
      • inheritedMiddle English-y
        • derivedMiddle English-ie
        • inheritedOld English-iġ
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*-ōn
    • rootProto-Indo-European*kap- “to take, grasp, hold”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishhevy
      • inheritedOld Englishhefiġ
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*habīg “heavy, hefty, weighty”
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*habīgaz “heavy, hefty, weighty”

    Related: Scots hevy, Saterland Frisian heeuwich, West Frisian hevich, Dutch hevig, German Low German hevig, German hebig, Icelandic höfugur, Latin capāx

    Meanings

    adj
    1. Having great weight.
    2. Heavyset: overweight.
    3. Serious, somber.
    4. Not easy to bear; burdensome; oppressive.
    5. Good.
    6. Profound.
    adv
    1. In a heavy manner; weightily; heavily; gravely.
    2. To a great degree; greatly.
    3. very
    noun
    1. A villain or bad guy; the one responsible for evil or aggressive acts.
    2. A doorman, bouncer or bodyguard.
    3. A prominent figure; a "major player".
    4. A newspaper of the quality press.
    5. A relatively large multi-engined aircraft.
    6. A serious theatrical role.
    verb
    1. To make heavier.
    2. To sadden.
    3. To use power or wealth to exert influence on, e.g., governments or corporations; to pressure.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: heavy