Middle English word hei comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis (Bird.), Old English ǣlā, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂ (Water.), Proto-Indo-European *ojóm
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₂éwis | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Bird. |
| ǣlā | Old English (ang) | |
| *h₂ekʷeh₂ | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂ékʷeh₂ | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Water. |
| *ojóm | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *ajjan | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *ahwō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Stream, river. Water. |
| *ajją | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Egg. |
| ǣġ | Old English (ang) | |
| æg | Old English (ang) | Egg. |
| ēa | Old English (ang) | |
| hei | Middle English (enm) |