Etymograph

English

harden

Harden comes from Old English heardian ‘to be or become hard’, and perhaps goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kret-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kret-1uncertain
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*harduz1‘hard’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hardijaną1‘to make hard, strong’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardijan1‘to harden, make hard’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150hierdan1‘to make hard’
  6. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hard(ī)1‘hard’reconstructed
  7. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardēn1‘to become hard, harden, solidify’reconstructed
  8. Old Englishc. 450–1150heardian1‘to be or become hard’
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500harden1
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hardenen1
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1959harden1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English harden
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1959, Accommodation for Non-Smokers: “The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kret-Wiktionary, English hardenuncertain
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*harduzWiktionary, English harden‘hard’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hardijanąWiktionary, English harden‘to make hard, strong’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardijanWiktionary, English harden‘to harden, make hard’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150hierdanWiktionary, English harden‘to make hard’
  6. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hard(ī)Wiktionary, English harden‘hard’reconstructed
  7. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hardēnWiktionary, English harden‘to become hard, harden, solidify’reconstructed
  8. Old Englishc. 450–1150heardianWiktionary, English harden‘to be or become hard’
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hardenWiktionary, English harden
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hardenenWiktionary, English harden
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1959hardenWiktionary, English harden. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1959, Accommodation for Non-Smokers: “The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that…”

Formed from hard + -en

Proto-Germanic *harduz

Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī)

Old English heard ‘hard’

Middle English hard

English hard

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kret-

rather, bureaucracy, bureaucratic, aristocracy, bureaucrat, 42 more

through Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī) ‘hard’

hardly, hardship, hardness, 2 more

Today it means

verb To become hard.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “harden”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kret- / harden

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