Middle English word hay comes from Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂-, Proto-Indo-European *kowə-, Proto-Indo-European *kowH-, and later Proto-Germanic *hawwaną (To chop, to hew. To forge.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *kewh₂- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *kowə- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *kowH- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *hawwaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To chop, to hew. To forge. |
| *hawją | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Hay. |
| hīġ | Old English (ang) | |
| hay | Middle English (enm) |