haven

See also: Haven

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English haven, havene, from Old English hæfen (“haven; harbour; port”), from Proto-West Germanic *habanu, from Proto-Germanic *habnō, *habanō (compare Dutch haven, German Hafen, Norwegian/Danish havn, Swedish hamn), from Proto-Germanic *habą (“sea”) (compare Old English hæf, Middle Low German haf, Old Norse haf (“sea”), German Haff (“bay or lagoon behind a spit”), perhaps, in the sense of "heaving sea", etymologically identical with Old Norse haf (“heaving, lifting, uplift, elevation”), derived from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift, heave”)), or from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pnós (compare Old Irish cúan (“harbor, recess, haven”)). Doublet of abra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈheɪvən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪvən

Noun

haven (plural havens)

1. (slightly dated) A harbour or anchorage protected from the sea.
   • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act 13, scene what ſhipping, and what ladings in our hauen,]:
   • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “"Break, break, break,"”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 229:

     And the stately ships go on / To their haven under the hill;

2. (by extension) A place of safety.

   Synonyms: refuge, sanctuary, zoar

   • 2011 December 21, Helen Pidd, “Europeans migrate south as continent drifts deeper into crisis”, in the Guardian‎^[1]:

     Since its conception, the European Union has been a haven for those seeking refuge from war, persecution and poverty in other parts of the world.

3. (by extension) A peaceful place.

Derived terms

• Barrow Haven
• Broad Haven
• East Haven
• Fairhaven
• Grand Haven
• havenage
• havenlike
• Little Haven, Littlehaven
• Lock Haven
• Milford Haven
• Moore Haven
• New Haven
• Peacehaven
• Rest Haven
• safe haven
• Shell Haven
• South Haven
• tax haven
• Thames Haven
• The Havens
• West Haven
• Winter Haven

 

Translations

harbour

• Arabic: مِينَاء m (mīnāʔ), مَرْفَأ m (marfaʔ)
• Bulgarian: малко пристанище n (malko pristanište)
• Catalan: port (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 避風港／避风港 (zh) (bìfēnggǎng), 海港 (zh) (hǎigǎng)

• Danish: havn (da) c
• Dutch: haven (nl) f
• Finnish: suojasatama, valkama (fi)
• French: port (fr) m, havre (fr) m
• German: Hafen (de) m
• Greek: λιμάνι (el) n (limáni)

  Ancient: λιμήν m (limḗn)

• Hebrew: נמל (he) n (namél)
• Hungarian: kikötő (hu), rév (hu)
• Italian: porto (it) m
• Japanese: 港 (ja) (みなと, minato), 海港 (ja) (かいこう, kaikō)
• Korean: 항구(港口) (ko) (hanggu), 해항(海港) (ko) (haehang)
• Low German: Haven
• Macedonian: приста́ниште n (pristánište)
• Maori: whanga
• Norman: hâvre
• Ottoman Turkish: لیمان (liman), مرسی (mersa)
• Polish: port (pl)
• Portuguese: porto (pt) m
• Russian: га́вань (ru) f (gávanʹ), порт (ru) m (port)
• Serbo-Croatian: luka (sh)
• Spanish: puerto (es) m
• Swedish: hamn (sv) c
• Yiddish: פּאָרט (port), האַוון (havn)

refuge

• Arabic: مَلَاذ m (malāḏ), مَلْجَأ m (maljaʔ)
• Bulgarian: убежище (bg) n (ubežište)
• Catalan: refugi (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 避難所／避难所 (zh) (bìnànsuǒ)

• Danish: tilflugtssted n, refugium n, fristed n
• Dutch: vrijhaven (nl) f, toevluchtsoord (nl) m
• Finnish: turvapaikka (fi)
• French: asile (fr) m, refuge (fr) m, abri (fr) m, havre (fr) m
• German: Zufluchtsort (de) m, Rückzugsort (de) m
• Greek: καταφύγιο (el) n (katafýgio)
• Hungarian: rév (hu), menedék (hu)
• Japanese: 避難所 (ja) (ひなんじょ, hinanjo)
• Kazakh: баспана (baspana)
• Korean: 피난처(避難所) (ko) (pinancheo)
• Macedonian: засо́лниште n (zasólnište), прибе́жиште n (pribéžište)
• Maori: piringa, punanga, tuohunga, whakamaurutanga, āhuru mōwai
• Norman: hâvre
• Polish: przystań (pl) f
• Portuguese: refúgio (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਪਨਾਹਗਾਹ f (panāhgāh)
• Russian: убе́жище (ru) n (ubéžišče), укры́тие (ru) n (ukrýtije), прибе́жище (ru) n (pribéžišče), приста́нище (ru) n (pristánišče), прию́т (ru) m (prijút)
• Serbo-Croatian: sklonište (sh), pribježište (sh), luka spasa, refugij (sh)
• Spanish: asilo (es) m, refugio (es) m
• Swedish: fristad (sv) c, tillflyktsort (sv) c

a peaceful place

• Finnish: tyyssija (fi)
• French: havre (fr) m, havre de paix (fr) m
• Hungarian: menedék (hu)
• Macedonian: рај (mk) m (raj)
• Maori: nukuao, āhuru mōwai
• Portuguese: santuário (pt)

Verb

haven (third-person singular simple present havens, present participle havening, simple past and past participle havened)

1. To put into, or provide with a haven.

Translations

to put into, or provide with a haven

• Bulgarian: приютявам (bg) (prijutjavam)
• Finnish: suojella (fi), tarjota suojapaikka

Etymology 2

From Middle English haven; equivalent to have +‎ -en (plural simple present ending).

Verb

haven

1. (obsolete) plural simple present of have
   • 1540, Thomas [Cranmer], “A Prologue or Preface […]”, in The Byble in Englyshe, […] (Great Bible), [2nd edition], [London]: […] Edward whytchurche, signature [i], verso:

     And they that occupye them bene in moche ſauegarde, and hauen greate conſolacyon, and bene the readyer vnto all goodnes, the ſlower to all euyll, and yf they haue done any thing amyſe, anone euen by the ſyght of the bookes theyꝛ conſciences bene admoniſhed, and they waxen ſoꝛy ⁊ aſhamed of the facte.

   • 1570, John Foxe, Actes and Monuments, page 517:

     For Lord, what charity hauen such men of religion, that knowen how they mowen against and sinne, and fleen awat from their brethren that bene more vncunning then they ben, and suffren thē to trauelen in the world withouten their councel as beastes?

   • 1606, N[athaniel] B[axter], Sir Philip Sydneys Ouránia, That Is, Endimions Song and Tragedie, Containing All Philosophie, London: […] Ed. Allde, for Edward White, […], →OCLC, signature G, recto:

     The craftie Badger, the Watry Otter / Whome Howndes purſue, till they hauen got her / Theſe Beaſtes been of higheſt Regard and Price / To pleaſure Princes and to murder vice.

Anagrams

• heav'n, nevah

Danish

Noun

haven c

1. definite singular of have

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦaːvə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ha‧ven
• Rhymes: -aːvən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch havene, from Old Dutch *havana, from Proto-West Germanic *habanu, from Proto-Germanic *habnō, *habanō.

Noun

haven f (plural havens, diminutive haventje n)

1. harbour

   De schepen liggen veilig in de haven. ― The ships are safe in the harbour.

   We namen een wandeling bij het kleine haventje na het diner. ― We took a walk by the small harbour after dinner.

2. port

   Rotterdam heeft een van de grootste havens ter wereld. ― Rotterdam has one of the largest ports in the world.

Derived terms

• havenarbeider
• havenbedrijf
• havengebied
• havengeld
• havenhoofd
• havenmeester
• havenplaats
• havenstad
• havenwerker
• havenwezen

 

- port types

• binnenhaven
• containerhaven
• jachthaven
• kunsthaven
• luchthaven
• passantenhaven
• rivierhaven
• ruimtehaven
• vrijhaven
• winterhaven
• zeehaven

 

- toponyms

• Almere Haven
• Beatrixhaven
• Bouchauterhaven
• Broekerhaven
• Brouwershaven
• Delfshaven
• Havenbuurt
• Haveneiland
• Isabellahaven
• Ketelhaven
• Koninginnehaven
• Kruispolderhaven
• Noorderhaven
• Poonhaven
• Simonshaven
• Waalhaven

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: hawe
• → Papiamentu: haf, haaf

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

haven

1. plural of have

Finnish

Alternative forms

• hapene (dialectal)

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *habën, possibly a Baltic loan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑʋen/, [ˈhɑ̝ʋe̞n]
• Rhymes: -ɑʋen
• Hyphenation^(key): ha‧ven

Noun

haven (dialectal)

1. (single) hair

   Synonyms: hapsi, hius

Declension

Inflection of haven (Kotus type 49*E/askel, p-v gradation)
nominative		haven hapene	hapenet hapeneet
genitive		hapenen hapeneen	hapenien haventen hapeneiden hapeneitten
partitive		haventa hapenetta	hapenia hapeneita
illative		hapeneen hapeneeseen	hapeniin hapeneisiin hapeneihin
		singular	plural
nominative		haven hapene	hapenet hapeneet
accusative	nom.	haven hapene	hapenet hapeneet
	gen.	hapenen hapeneen
genitive		hapenen hapeneen	hapenien haventen hapeneiden hapeneitten
partitive		haventa hapenetta	hapenia hapeneita
inessive		hapenessa hapeneessa	hapenissa hapeneissa
elative		hapenesta hapeneesta	hapenista hapeneista
illative		hapeneen hapeneeseen	hapeniin hapeneisiin hapeneihin
adessive		hapenella hapeneella	hapenilla hapeneilla
ablative		hapenelta hapeneelta	hapenilta hapeneilta
allative		hapenelle hapeneelle	hapenille hapeneille
essive		hapenena hapeneena	hapenina hapeneina
translative		hapeneksi hapeneeksi	hapeniksi hapeneiksi
abessive		hapenetta hapeneetta	hapenitta hapeneitta
instructive		—	hapenin hapenein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of haven (Kotus type 49*E/askel, p-v gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hapeneni hapeneeni hapeneni hapeneeni accusative nom. hapeneni hapeneeni hapeneni hapeneeni gen. hapeneni hapeneeni genitive hapeneni hapeneeni hapenieni haventeni hapeneideni hapeneitteni partitive haventani hapenettani hapeniani hapeneitani inessive hapenessani hapeneessani hapenissani hapeneissani elative hapenestani hapeneestani hapenistani hapeneistani illative hapeneeni hapeneeseeni hapeniini hapeneisiini hapeneihini adessive hapenellani hapeneellani hapenillani hapeneillani ablative hapeneltani hapeneeltani hapeniltani hapeneiltani allative hapenelleni hapeneelleni hapenilleni hapeneilleni essive hapenenani hapeneenani hapeninani hapeneinani translative hapenekseni hapeneekseni hapenikseni hapeneikseni abessive hapenettani hapeneettani hapenittani hapeneittani instructive — — comitative — hapenineni hapeneineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hapenesi hapeneesi hapenesi hapeneesi accusative nom. hapenesi hapeneesi hapenesi hapeneesi gen. hapenesi hapeneesi genitive hapenesi hapeneesi hapeniesi haventesi hapeneidesi hapeneittesi partitive haventasi hapenettasi hapeniasi hapeneitasi inessive hapenessasi hapeneessasi hapenissasi hapeneissasi elative hapenestasi hapeneestasi hapenistasi hapeneistasi illative hapeneesi hapeneeseesi hapeniisi hapeneisiisi hapeneihisi adessive hapenellasi hapeneellasi hapenillasi hapeneillasi ablative hapeneltasi hapeneeltasi hapeniltasi hapeneiltasi allative hapenellesi hapeneellesi hapenillesi hapeneillesi essive hapenenasi hapeneenasi hapeninasi hapeneinasi translative hapeneksesi hapeneeksesi hapeniksesi hapeneiksesi abessive hapenettasi hapeneettasi hapenittasi hapeneittasi instructive — — comitative — hapeninesi hapeneinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hapenemme hapeneemme hapenemme hapeneemme accusative nom. hapenemme hapeneemme hapenemme hapeneemme gen. hapenemme hapeneemme genitive hapenemme hapeneemme hapeniemme haventemme hapeneidemme hapeneittemme partitive haventamme hapenettamme hapeniamme hapeneitamme inessive hapenessamme hapeneessamme hapenissamme hapeneissamme elative hapenestamme hapeneestamme hapenistamme hapeneistamme illative hapeneemme hapeneeseemme hapeniimme hapeneisiimme hapeneihimme adessive hapenellamme hapeneellamme hapenillamme hapeneillamme ablative hapeneltamme hapeneeltamme hapeniltamme hapeneiltamme allative hapenellemme hapeneellemme hapenillemme hapeneillemme essive hapenenamme hapeneenamme hapeninamme hapeneinamme translative hapeneksemme hapeneeksemme hapeniksemme hapeneiksemme abessive hapenettamme hapeneettamme hapenittamme hapeneittamme instructive — — comitative — hapeninemme hapeneinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hapenenne hapeneenne hapenenne hapeneenne accusative nom. hapenenne hapeneenne hapenenne hapeneenne gen. hapenenne hapeneenne genitive hapenenne hapeneenne hapenienne haventenne hapeneidenne hapeneittenne partitive haventanne hapenettanne hapenianne hapeneitanne inessive hapenessanne hapeneessanne hapenissanne hapeneissanne elative hapenestanne hapeneestanne hapenistanne hapeneistanne illative hapeneenne hapeneeseenne hapeniinne hapeneisiinne hapeneihinne adessive hapenellanne hapeneellanne hapenillanne hapeneillanne ablative hapeneltanne hapeneeltanne hapeniltanne hapeneiltanne allative hapenellenne hapeneellenne hapenillenne hapeneillenne essive hapenenanne hapeneenanne hapeninanne hapeneinanne translative hapeneksenne hapeneeksenne hapeniksenne hapeneiksenne abessive hapenettanne hapeneettanne hapenittanne hapeneittanne instructive — — comitative — hapeninenne hapeneinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative hapenensa hapeneensa hapenensa hapeneensa accusative nom. hapenensa hapeneensa hapenensa hapeneensa gen. hapenensa hapeneensa genitive hapenensa hapeneensa hapeniensa haventensa hapeneidensa hapeneittensa partitive haventaan hapenettaan haventansa hapenettansa hapeniaan hapeneitaan hapeniansa hapeneitansa inessive hapenessaan hapeneessaan hapenessansa hapeneessansa hapenissaan hapeneissaan hapenissansa hapeneissansa elative hapenestaan hapeneestaan hapenestansa hapeneestansa hapenistaan hapeneistaan hapenistansa hapeneistansa illative hapeneensa hapeneeseensa hapeniinsa hapeneisiinsa hapeneihinsa adessive hapenellaan hapeneellaan hapenellansa hapeneellansa hapenillaan hapeneillaan hapenillansa hapeneillansa ablative hapeneltaan hapeneeltaan hapeneltansa hapeneeltansa hapeniltaan hapeneiltaan hapeniltansa hapeneiltansa allative hapenelleen hapeneelleen hapenellensa hapeneellensa hapenilleen hapeneilleen hapenillensa hapeneillensa essive hapenenaan hapeneenaan hapenenansa hapeneenansa hapeninaan hapeneinaan hapeninansa hapeneinansa translative hapenekseen hapeneekseen hapeneksensa hapeneeksensa hapenikseen hapeneikseen hapeniksensa hapeneiksensa abessive hapenettaan hapeneettaan hapenettansa hapeneettansa hapenittaan hapeneittaan hapenittansa hapeneittansa instructive — — comitative — hapenineen hapeneineen hapeninensa hapeneinensa

Anagrams

• ahven

Middle English

Alternative forms

• have, haav, haf, hafe, haben, habben, heven, hawe
• (contracted) han, haan, ha

Etymology

From Old English habban, from Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaːvən/, /ˈhavən/, (some dialects) /ˈhabən/
• (contracted) IPA^(key): /haːn/, /han/

Verb

haven

2. to own (to have ownership of):
   1. to possess (an abstraction; a quality)
   2. to include (as a part, ingredient, or feature).
      • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[2], published c. 1410, James 2:17, page 110r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

        ſo alſo feiþ if it haþ not werkis .· is deed in it ſelf

        So faith, if it doesn't incorporate works as well, is dead on its own.

   3. to hold; to have at disposal
3. to get, acquire, or obtain:
   • c. 1375, “Book I”, in Iohne Barbour, De geſtis bellis et uirtutibus domini Roberti de Brwyß […] (The Brus, Advocates MS. 19.2.2)‎^[3], Ouchtirmunſye: Iohannes Ramſay, published 1489, folio 2, recto, lines 225-228; republished at Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, c. 2010:

     A fredome is a noble thing / fredome mayß man to haiff liking / fredome all ſolace to ma[n] giffis / He levys at eß [that] frely levys

     Oh, freedom is a noble thing: / it allows people to get enjoyment / and provides all of humanity's peace. / If you live free, you live at ease!

   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[4], published c. 1410, Joon 10:10, page 49v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     a nyȝt þeef comeþ not .· but þat he ſteele ſle ⁊ leeſe / and I cam þat þey haue lijf .· ⁊ haue more plenteuouſli.

     A stealthy thief doesn't come unless he can steal, kill, and ruin. But I came so they could have life, and have it more abundantly.

   1. to take (in); to be given
   2. to have (a child); to give birth
4. to do; to perform (an action):
   1. (with preposition) to take (away)
   2. to have (done); to cause to (do, be)
   3. to be obliged to do; to be scheduled to do.
5. (auxillary) Denotes completion; forms the perfect tense.
6. to keep; to maintain (in a condition)
7. to have (in a certain relationship)
8. to consider; to look upon
9. to experience; to undergo

Usage notes

• As in Modern English, haven may be used elliptically in auxiliary constructions if the main verb is implicit.
• The perfect progressive construction (modern have been + present) is known in Middle English, though rare and late.
• Some intransitive verbs may form the perfect with ben rather than haven.

Conjugation

Conjugation of haven (weak irregular/in -ed)

infinitive	(to) haven, have, han, ha
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	have, ha	hadde, haved
2nd-person singular	havest, hast	haddest, havedest
3rd-person singular	haveth, hath	hadde, haved
subjunctive singular	have, ha
imperative singular		—
plural1	haven, have, han, ha	hadden, hadde, haveden, havede
imperative plural	haveth, have, ha	—
participles	havynge, havende	had, haved, yhad, yhaved

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Contraction

• ichave
• nad (“had not”)

Descendants

• English: have (-'ve, -a)
• Scots: hae, ha, hiv, have, hawe (-a)
• Yola: ha, have

References

• “hā̆ven, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle High German

Etymology

From Old High German hafan m (“pot”).

Noun

haven

1. pot

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

haven

1. definite plural of hav

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian *hafen, *haven, from Proto-West Germanic *habanu, from Proto-Germanic *habnō.

Noun

haven c (plural havens, diminutive haventsje)

1. harbour
2. haven, refuge

Derived terms

• havenhaad

Further reading

• “haven (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011