Middle English word henene comes from Proto-Indo-European *kaw-, Proto-Germanic - -janą, Old English heonane, and later Proto-Germanic *hauniz (Despised, poor, miserable.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *kaw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| - -janą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| heonane | Old English (ang) | |
| *hauniz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Despised, poor, miserable. |
| *haunijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To humiliate, to dishonour. |
| hīenan | Old English (ang) | |
| henen | Middle English (enm) | Hence. |