HALF - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Adjective
partial
Example: gave me a half smile; he did only a half job
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Adverb
partially or to the extent of a half
Example: he was half hidden by the bushes
Meaning 3
Part of speech: Adjective
(of siblings) related through one parent only
Example: a half brother; half sister
Synonyms
Half, One-half
Antonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "half" comes from Proto-Germanic *halbaz. It started in Proto-West Germanic *halb. Then it appeared in Old English healf. Later, people used it in Middle English half. Many other languages have similar words:.
- Dutch: half
- West Frisian: heal
- German: halb
- Norwegian: halv
- Icelandic: hálfur
- Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃
🔗 Related Words
halve – A related word in the same word family.
behalf – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
Words that pass through many languages often accumulate layers of meaning from each culture.