Heim

See also: heim

English

Etymology

• As a south German surname, from the noun Heim (“home”).
• As a Norwegian surname, from farmsteads named with, or directly from, the Old Norse noun heimr (“home”), related to the above.
• As a Jewish surname, from the Yiddish name חיים (Khayem). Doublet of Chaim.

Proper noun

Heim (plural Heims)

1. A surname from German.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Heim is the 2513^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 14414 individuals. Heim is most common among White (91.66%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Heim”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 155.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German heim, from Old High German heim, from Proto-West Germanic *haim. Cognate with Dutch heem, English home, Danish hjem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haɪ̯m/

• Audio (Berlin); [häe̯m]:

  (file)

• Audio (Austria); [hæe̯m]:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ̯m

Noun

Heim n (strong, genitive Heims or Heimes, plural Heime)

1. (in compounds and expressions, otherwise chiefly poetic) home, one’s dwelling, the place where one is at home

   Synonym: Zuhause

   Eigenheim ― own home, owner-occupied house

   Heimcomputer ― home computer

   Heimtrainer ― stationary bicycle (literally, “home trainer”)

   Am wohlsten fühlt er sich im trauten Heim.

   He feels most comfortable in his sweet home.

   (idiomatic, humorous)

   Ich baue das Haus, um meiner Familie ein Heim zu schaffen.

   I’m building the house in order to create a home for my family.

   (elevated, poetic)

2. (now the main use) a home, asylum, hostel (residence for some specified group)

   Studentenwohnheim ― hall of residence (literally, “student living home”)

   Tierheim ― animal shelter

   1. without further context usually short for either Kinderheim (“children’s home, orphanage”) or Altersheim (“retirement home”)

      Mein Sohn / Vater ist im Heim.

      My son / father lives in a home.

   2. (by extension also) a house, center for a collective purpose other than to dwell in

      Synonym: Zentrum

      Vereinsheim ― club house

Declension

Declension of Heim [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Heim	die	Heime
genitive	eines	des	Heims, Heimes	der	Heime
dative	einem	dem	Heim, Heime1	den	Heimen
accusative	ein	das	Heim	die	Heime

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Altersheim
• Eigenheim
• Heimarbeit
• Heimat
• heimisch
• heimkommen
• heimlich
• Kinderheim
• Mobilheim
• Tierheim
• unheimlich
• Vereinsheim
• Wohnheim

Related terms

• heim, daheim
• heim-, -heim
• geheim
• Heimchen

Further reading

• “Heim” in Duden online
• “Heim” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German hēm, from Old Saxon hēm, from Proto-West Germanic *haim.

Noun

Heim n (plural Heima or Heims)

1. home