The distinction between has and hast as verbs is that has is (have), but hast is (archaic|poetic|regional) a second-person singular simple present form of have. Thus, "has breakfast" means "has food to eat", while "hastens" means "hurries up". Hasten was used in early English instead of hurry. Haste comes from the Old English hæst, which also gave us hasteful. Has comes from the Latin habere, to have. Hastiness is the quality of being hurried; haste. He is a man of considerable piety and hasteiness. His hasteiness caused him to leave without saying goodbye.