# half
## English
### Alternative forms

* 'arf, ha'f
* halfe (obsolete)

### Etymology

From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Cognate with Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Dutch half, West Frisian heal, German halb, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian halv, Icelandic hálfur and Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs). Compare halve, behalf.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, Northern England, General South African) IPA: /hɑːf/
* (Wales) IPA: /haːf/
* (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA: /hɐːf/
    Rhymes: -ɑːf
* (General American, Canada) IPA: /hæf/
** Audio (US):(file)
* (New York City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Baltimore) IPA: /hɛəf/
* (Ireland, Scotland) IPA: /haf/
    Rhymes: -æf

### Noun

half (plural halves)
* One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
    I ate the slightly smaller half of the apple.
    You don’t know the half of it.
    Of the passengers on the plane, half were English.
    The cake was delicious: half was vanilla and half was chocolate.
** 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:Not half his riches known, and yet despised.
** 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Gardener’s Daughter; or, The Pictures”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 19:I and he, / Brothers in Art; a friendship so complete / Portion'd in halves between us, […]
** (sports) One of two equal periods into which a game is divided.
    Coordinate term: quarter
    An association football match usually consists of two halves of 45 minutes each.
** (sports) One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
*** 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎:However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.
* Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
** (British) half a pint of beer or cider. (Refusing a pint) Just a half, thank you. (Offering to top up a pint glass) Do you want a half in that? (Minimizing the amount of drink taken) A swift half at the Pear Tree.
*** 1968, John Braine, The Crying Game, Houghton Mifflin, page 11:He came back with a pint of Guinness for me and a half of bitter for Wendy.
*** 1974, James Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful, St. Martin's Press,, →ISBN:I accepted a half of bitter from him.
*** 2006, Bill Appleton, Wide Boy, Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie, →ISBN, page 168:I went to the bar where I bought a pint and two large brandies. ... "Not brandy," she replied, "but I could use a long drink - maybe a half of lager."
** (liquor trade) A barrel measure of 27 gallons (half a hogshead).
*** 1987, Keith Dunstan, The Amber Nectar, Ringwood: Vicking O'Neil, page 81:Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four.
* (preceded by “a” or a number) The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
    Synonym: ½
    Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.
* Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
* (slang) A half sibling.
** 2016, Robert M. Herzog, A World Between:So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.
* (UK, dated) A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
* (sports) abbreviated form for half marathon.
* (numismatic slang) Clipping of half-dollar.
** 2002 August 15, Fred A. Murphy, “FA: Last of the Walkers”, in rec.collecting.coins‎ (Usenet), retrieved 2023-01-03:Tonight, we're offering the last of the Walking Liberty Halves for awhile:

#### Derived terms

* ain't half
* and a half
* better half
* by halves
* call it half a day
* cry halves
* fly-half
* fly half
* go halves
* half a brain
* half a chance
* half-a-dollar
* half a grunter
* half a head
* half a loaf is better than none
* half and half
* half sole
* half-world
* hell and half of Georgia
* how the other half lives
* in half
* in one's half
* know the half of
* left-half
* not half
* not half bad
* one and a half syndrome
* other half
* right-half
* scrum-half
* scrum half
* second half
* seven and a half
* sharp-and-a-half
* shelter half
* swift half
* take one's half out of the middle
* the half of it
* time and a half
* too clever by half

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Adjective

half (not comparable)
* Consisting of a half (½, 50%).
    Synonyms: semi-, hemi-, demi-
    a half kilo
    a half hour
    a half dollar
* Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
    a half truth
** 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:Assumed from thence a half-consent.
* (of a sibling) Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
    A half brother or half sister
* (of a relative other than a sibling) Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
    A half uncle or half aunt or half cousin

#### Usage notes

* (consisting of a half): The adjective and noun are often united to form a compound, half-hour.

#### Derived terms

See also those listed at Category:English terms prefixed with half-.
* all over hell's half acre
* at half-sword
* automatic half-barrier level crossing
* baker's half dozen
* by half
* centre half
* centre-half
* cheap at half the price
* cut the baby in half
* do by half-measures
* dummy half
* first half
* four-half
* glass-half-empty
* glass-half-full
* go half and half
* go off half-cocked
* half-a-crown
* half adder
* half a dozen
* half-a-dozen
* half again
* half a loaf is better than no bread
* half a loaf is better than no loaf
* half a mind
* half a mo
* half-and-half
* half an eye
* half-angel
* half-an-hour
* half an hour
* half ape
* half-ape
* half-arse
* half-asleep
* half ass
* half-ass
* half-assed
* half-assedly
* half-assery
* half-awake
* half-back
* half back
* half-baked
* half baked
* half-bakedness
* half-ball
* half-baptism
* half-barrier
* half-bat
* half bath
* half bathroom
* half bent
* half binding
* half birthday
* half-birthday
* half blood
* half-blood
* half-blooded
* half blue
* half board
* half boarder
* half-boiled
* half-boot
* half-bound
* half-brained
* half-breadth plan
* half-break
* half-bred
* half-breed
* half-broken
* half-brother
* half brother
* half brother-in-law
* half-built
* half butt
* half cadence
* half-caf
* half cap
* half-caste
* half cell
* half-cell
* half cent
* half-century
* half-chair
* half-chance
* half-clammed
* half cock
* half-cocked
* half cocked
* half-colonel
* half columnar
* half court
* half-court
* half-court line
* half-court violation
* half-cousin
* half-cracked
* half-crown
* half cut
* half-cut
* half day
* half dead
* half-dead
* half-deal
* half-decent
* half-decked
* half-demon
* half dime
* half-diminished seventh chord
* half-dollar
* half-door
* half-dozen
* half dozen
* half-duplex
* half duplex
* half eagle
* half-eaten
* half-edge
* half-elf
* half-elven
* half-embrace
* half empty
* half-equation
* half-evergreen
* half-expect
* half-faced
* half fare
* half-finished
* half-first cousin
* half-fish
* half foot
* half forward
* half-frame
* half-free
* half-fuck
* half full
* half-gip
* half gip
* half glove
* half-god
* half gross
* half-grown
* half gyp
* half-gyp
* half-half
* half-halt
* half-hardy
* half-heartedly
* half-heartedness
* half-hitch
* half hitch
* half-holiday
* half hose
* half hour
* half-hourlong
* half-hourly
* half-human
* half-hunter
* half-identical
* half-inch
* half inch
* half-integer
* half-integral
* half in the bag
* half-island
* half-jacket
* half-Jew
* half joe
* half joke
* half-joke
* half-jokingly
* half-kirtle
* half-landing
* half-length
* half-life
* half-light
* half-line
* half lit
* half-long
* half-long vowel
* half-marathon
* half-marathoner
* half-marrow
* half-mast
* half mast
* half measure
* half-measure
* half-metal
* half-metallic
* half-metallicity
* half-mile
* half-monthly
* half moon
* half-moon
* half-mourning
* half murder
* half-naked
* half-natural
* half nelson
* half-nephew
* half nephew
* halfness
* half-niece
* half niece
* half-night stand
* half-noble
* half note
* half-one
* half-op
* half-open
* half-open file
* half-open interval
* half-orc
* half orphan
* half-orphan
* half page
* half-pant
* half-pass
* half-past-six
* half pay
* half-pike
* half-pint
* half-pipe
* half pipe
* half-plane
* half-plate
* half polluted
* half-port
* half-pounder
* half-price
* half price
* half-rate
* half-ray
* half-reaction
* half-read
* half-relaxation time
* half-relief
* half-rep
* half rest
* half rhyme
* half-rocked
* half-round
* half round
* half-royal
* half seas over
* half-seen
* half shaft
* half shell
* half shift
* half-shower
* half sib
* half-sib
* half-sibling
* half-sibling-in-law
* half-sider
* half-sighted
* half-silvered mirror
* half sister
* half-sister
* half sister-in-law
* half slip
* half-smile
* half smile
* half sovereign
* half space
* half stack
* half-staff
* half staff
* half-standard
* half step
* half-step
* half-strained
* half-suit
* half-swastika
* half-term
* half term
* half the battle
* half the story
* half tide
* half-tide
* half-timber
* half-timbering
* half-time
* half time
* half-timer
* half tint
* half-tint
* half-title
* half title
* half-tone
* half tone
* half-track
* half-tracker
* half truth
* half-truth
* half-uncle
* half undern
* half-unicorn
* half-up half-down
* half-value thickness
* half viaduct
* half-virgin
* half-volley
* half volley
* half-waking
* half-waxen
* half-wheel
* half-width
* half-wild
* half-Windsor
* half-wit
* half-witch
* half-witted
* half-wittedly
* half-wizard
* half-year
* half year
* half-yearly
* half-zip
* jury of half-tongue
* knowing is half the battle
* like one o'clock half struck
* listen with half an ear
* maternal half aunt
* maternal half-uncle
* one and a half
* one-and-a-half-spaced
* one-half
* one half
* on the half hour
* open half space
* paternal half aunt
* paternal half-uncle
* rear admiral lower half
* saw the baby in half
* second-half
* see the glass half-empty
* see the glass half-full
* see with half an eye
* shared sorrow is half sorrow
* the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long
* well begun is half done
* you can't be half pregnant

#### Descendants

* → Fiji Hindi: haafaa
* → Hawaiian: hapa
** → English: hapa
* → Japanese: ハーフ (hāfu)
** → English: hafu
* → Maori: hāwhe
* → Pitjantjatjara: aapa

#### Translations
### Adverb

half (not comparable)
* In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
* In some part approximating a half.
* Partially; imperfectly.
    half-colored
    half done
    half persuaded
    half conscious
    He does sometimes half wish to change his life, but it is too difficult.
** 1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):Half loth and half consenting.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Nehemiah 13:24:Their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod.
** 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto V:I sometimes hold it half a sin ⁠To put in words the grief I feel; ⁠For words, like Nature, half reveal And half conceal the Soul within.
* Practically, nearly.
** c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene v:To be a King, is halfe to bee a God.

#### Usage notes

* (approximating a half): The phrase half again expresses an amount in addition to the amount being compared to. E.g., half as many people refers to 50% of the original number, while half again as many people refers to 150% of the original number.

#### Synonyms

* (partially; imperfectly): halfly (obsolete)

#### Derived terms

* a danger foreseen is half avoided
* a fault confessed is half redressed
* half-arsed
* half-filled
* half-forgotten
* half-full
* half-hearted
* half-timbered
* half to death

#### See also

* not half

### Verb

half (third-person singular simple present halves, present participle halving, simple past and past participle halved)
* (transitive, obsolete) To halve.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bisect

#### Translations
### Preposition

half
* (UK, Ireland) Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.
    Synonym: (North America, Australia) half past
    The time is 9:30; it is half nine.
* (Discuss this sense) (rare, see usage notes) A half-hour to (preceding) the next hour.
    In some countries, "half seven" means 6:30.

#### Usage notes

In English, the first sense (half past) is the only sense in current use. The second sense (half-hour before) is almost exclusively used in reference to other cultural or linguistic backgrounds where a similar usage exists.

### Interjection

half
* (theater) A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.

### References

* “half”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch half, from Old Dutch *half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Cognate with English half, German halb, West Frisian heal, Danish halv.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɦɑlf/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: half
* Rhymes: -ɑlf

### Adjective

half (not comparable)
* half
* (with numbers) half before the next whole
    half tien
       half past nine (i.e. half of the tenth hour)
    anderhalf
       one and a half (half before two, with ander originally meaning second)
* (with months) the middle of that month
    half maart
       mid-March

#### Derived terms

* anderhalf
* halfgans
* halfgod
* halfrond
* halfstok
* halfweg
* halveren
* halverwege
* helft

#### Descendants

* Berbice Creole Dutch: halfu
* Negerhollands: half
* →? Sranan Tongo: afu (dated)
** → Aukan: aloefoe
** → Saramaccan: háfu, áfu

## German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /half/
* Audio:(file)

### Verb

half
* first/third-person singular preterite of helfen

## Middle English
### Etymology

From Old English healf, half, from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

### Noun

half (plural halves or halfes or halven)
* half
* part; side; behalf
** 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Myllers Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:The four halves of the house(please add an English translation of this quotation)
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

#### Alternative forms

* halfe, halph, alf, alfe, hælf, healf, healfe, elf, haf, hafe, halve, alve, hælve, helve

### Adjective

half
* half

#### Alternative forms

* healf (Early Middle English)

### Adverb

half
* half

#### Alternative forms

* elf

### Descendants

* English: half (see there for further descendants)
* Scots: hauf
* Yola: halleef, halef, halluf

### References

* “half, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
* “half, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
* “half, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

## Old English
### Adjective

half
* Alternative form of healf

## Old Saxon
### Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *halbu, from Proto-Germanic *halbō.

#### Noun

half f
* side
** 9th c. Heliand, verse 4389-4390
    ...an thea winistron hand sō duot hē ōk thea sāligon an thea swīđeron half......in the left hand so put he as well the blessed in the right side...

##### Declension

Anomalous, O-stem

### Etymology 2

from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

#### Adjective

half
* half

##### References

* Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)