here

See also: Here, hère, and herë

English

Etymology

From Middle English her, from Old English hēr (“at this place”), from Proto-West Germanic *hēr, from Proto-Germanic *hē₂r, from *hiz +‎ *-r, from Proto-Indo-European *kís, from *ḱe + *ís.

Cognates

Cognate with Saterland Frisian hier, West Frisian hjir, Dutch hier, German Low German hier, German hier, Danish her, Swedish här, Norwegian her, Faroese her, Icelandic hér. Also related to the English pronoun he (“this/that person”), and the words hither (“to this place”) and hence (“from this place”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /hɪə̯(ɹ)/, /hɪː(ɹ)/

• Audio (UK, female voice):

  (file)

• Audio (UK, male voice):

  (file)

• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /ˈhiː.ə/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /hɪɚ̯/, /hɪɹ/, [çiɚ]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /hɪː/
  • (Western Australia, Queensland) IPA^(key): /ˈhiː.ə/, /hɪə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /hiːr/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /hiːɹ/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /hjɜː/
• Homophones: hear, hir
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ), -iːə(ɹ)

Adverb

here (not comparable)

1. (location) In, on, or at this place (a place perceived to be close to the speaker); compare there.

   Synonym: (emphatic) right here

   You wait here while I fetch my coat.

   Ms. Doe is not here at the moment.

   It says here that he died in 1970.

   The air here is foul.

   The view up here is better than the view down there!

   Here is the report that you asked for. (inverted use)

   Here I stand.

   Kilroy was here.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto VII:

     Dark house, by which once more I stand / Here in the long unlovely street,

   • 2008, Omar Khadr, Affidavit of Omar Ahmed Khadr:

     The Canadian visitor stated, “I’m not here to help you. I’m not here to do anything for you. I’m just here to get information.”

   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Oh, yes. I am here! — Good. You are there.

     Audio (US):

     (file)

   1. (abstract) At this point or stage (in a process, argument, narration, etc.)

      I've had enough of peeling potatoes. I'm stopping here.

      Here endeth the lesson.

      • 1796, George Washington, Washington's Farewell Address:

        Here, perhaps I ought to stop.

      • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

        “And drove away—away.” Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr's.

   2. (abstract) In this matter.

      You say that all men are born equal, but here I must disagree with you.

   3. (as complement of 'be') Notionally at the speaker's location by virtue of happening now.

      Flu season is here.

      Christmas will soon be here.

   4. (abstract) In this context.

      Derivatives can refer to anything that is derived from something else, but here they refer specifically to functions that give the slope of the tangent line to a curve.

      • 1872 May, Edward Burnett Tylor, “Quetelet on the Science of Man”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 1:

        The two great generalizations which the veteran Belgian astronomer has brought to bear on physiological and mental science, and which it is proposed to describe popularly here, may be briefly defined:

      • 1904 January 15, William James, “The Chicago School”, in Psychological Bulletin, 1.1, pages 1-5:

        The briefest characterization is all that will be attempted here.

2. (location) To this place; used in place of the literary or archaic hither.

   Please come here.

   • 1891, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wall-Paper:

     He said we came here solely on my account, that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I could get.

Derived terms

• abandon hope all ye who enter here
• all hope abandon ye who enter here
• be here for
• come-here
• come here to me
• does anyone here speak English
• do you come here often
• fancy seeing you here
• for here
• from here on in
• from here on out
• from here to Sunday
• get out of here
• get outta here
• have had it up to here
• have here
• hereabout
• hereafter
• here and now
• here and there
• hereaway
• here be dragons
• here below
• hereby
• here document
• here for it
• here goes
• here goes nothing
• herein
• hereinabove
• hereinafter
• hereinbefore
• hereinbelow
• here lies
• hereness
• hereof
• hereon
• here, there and everywhere
• hereto
• heretofore
• here to stay
• hereunder
• hereunto
• hereupon
• here we are
• here we go
• here we go again
• herewith
• here you are
• here you go
• I just work here
• I'm here all week
• in the here and now
• I only work here
• is anyone here a doctor
• is anyone sitting here
• is it safe here
• Kilroy was here
• look here
• my eyes are up here
• neither here nor there
• not here for a haircut
• not here to fuck spiders
• not invented here
• over here
• same here
• see here
• the buck stops here
• this here
• true as I'm standing here
• true as I stand here
• up to here
• you must be new here
• your money is no good here

 

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: ia

Translations

See here/translations § Adverb.

Noun

here (plural heres)

1. This place; this location.

   Here is where I met my spouse twelve years ago.

   An Alzheimer patient's here may in his mind be anywhere he called home in the time he presently re-lives.

   • 1922, Francis Herbert Bradley, The Principles of Logic, page 52:

     For time and extension seem continuous elements; the here is one space with the other heres round it

   • 2001, Kauhiko Yatabe, “Objects, city and wandering: the invisibility of the Japanese in France”, in Harumi Befu, Sylvie Guichard-Anguis, editors, Globalizing Japan: Ethnography of the Japanese Presence in Asia, Europe, and America, page 28:

     More than ever, the here is porous.

   • 2004, Denis Wood, Five Billion Years of Global Change: A History of the Land, page 20:

     We can't see it because it is an aspect of our seeing, it is a function of our gaze: the field of the here is established in — and by — our presence.

   1. (figuratively) This point or stage, visualised as a location.

      I'd like to continue my story, but here is where I must stop.

      I've done as much as I can; you'll have to take it from here.

2. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (abstract) This time, the present situation. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Translations

See here/translations § Noun.

Adjective

here (not comparable)

1. Filler after a noun or demonstrative pronoun, solely for emphasis.

   John here is a rascal.

2. Filler after a demonstrative pronoun but before the noun it modifies, solely for emphasis.

   This here orange is too sour.

Translations

See here/translations § Adjective.

Interjection

here

1. (slang) Used semi-assertively to offer something to the listener.

   Here, now I'm giving it to you.

2. (Ireland, British, slang) Used for emphasis at the beginning of a sentence when expressing an opinion or want.

   Here, I'm tired and I want a drink.

3. (informal) Used to attract someone's attention, often in a hostile way.

   Here! You! Stop doing that!

4. Said in response to one's name being called during a roll call, indicating that one is present.

   Smith ... Here! ... Jones ... Here! ... Walters ... ... Anyone seen Walters?

5. Said to command a person or higher animal to come to the speaker.

   "Fido! Here!" — "Woof Woof!"

Translations

See here/translations § Interjection.

See also

• hence
• here-
• hereabouts
• hither
• there

 

Anagrams

• HREE, Rehe, Rhee, heer

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦeː.rə/
• Rhymes: -eːrə
• Hyphenation: he‧re

Noun

here m (plural heren, diminutive heertje n)

1. Obsolete form of heer (“lord”).

   De here van Papendrecht eet gaarne deze spijze. ― The lord of Papendrecht gladly eats this meal.

2. (archaic) inflected form of heer (lord)

   Deze spijze is voor den here van Papendrecht. ― This meal is for the lord of Papendrecht.

Usage notes

• This form both represents the formerly standard nominative of heer, as an oblique-case form of the same word.
• The nominative usage is completely obsolete as a common noun meaning "lord" (in a worldly, regular sense), but note Here, which is still in use as a proper noun.

Anagrams

• heer

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈhɛrɛ]
• Hyphenation: he‧re
• Rhymes: -rɛ

Etymology 1

From Proto-Uralic *kojera (“male animal”). Cognates include Northern Mansi ха̄р (hār).

Noun

here (plural herék)

1. (anatomy) testicle, testis (the male sex and endocrine gland)
2. drone (a male bee or wasp, which does not work but can fertilize the queen bee)
3. (derogatory) loafer, drone (someone who doesn't work; a lazy person, an idler)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	here	herék
accusative	herét	heréket
dative	herének	heréknek
instrumental	herével	herékkel
causal-final	heréért	herékért
translative	herévé	herékké
terminative	heréig	herékig
essive-formal	hereként	herékként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	herében	herékben
superessive	herén	heréken
adessive	herénél	heréknél
illative	herébe	herékbe
sublative	herére	herékre
allative	heréhez	herékhez
elative	heréből	herékből
delative	heréről	herékről
ablative	herétől	heréktől
non-attributive possessive - singular	heréé	heréké
non-attributive possessive - plural	herééi	herékéi

Possessive forms of here
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	herém	heréim
2nd person sing.	heréd	heréid
3rd person sing.	heréje	heréi
1st person plural	herénk	heréink
2nd person plural	herétek	heréitek
3rd person plural	heréjük	heréik

Derived terms

• heréjű
• herél

 

Compound words

• herezacskó

 

Etymology 2

Shortened from lóhere (“clover”), from ló (“horse”) + here (“testicle”) (based on the shape of the leaves of this plant resembling horses’ sex glands), hence related to the above sense.

Noun

here (plural herék)

1. (folksy) clover (a plant of the genus Trifolium with leaves usually divided into three (rarely four) leaflets and with white or red flowers)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	here	herék
accusative	herét	heréket
dative	herének	heréknek
instrumental	herével	herékkel
causal-final	heréért	herékért
translative	herévé	herékké
terminative	heréig	herékig
essive-formal	hereként	herékként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	herében	herékben
superessive	herén	heréken
adessive	herénél	heréknél
illative	herébe	herékbe
sublative	herére	herékre
allative	heréhez	herékhez
elative	heréből	herékből
delative	heréről	herékről
ablative	herétől	heréktől
non-attributive possessive - singular	heréé	heréké
non-attributive possessive - plural	herééi	herékéi

Possessive forms of here
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	herém	heréim
2nd person sing.	heréd	heréid
3rd person sing.	heréje	heréi
1st person plural	herénk	heréink
2nd person plural	herétek	heréitek
3rd person plural	heréjük	heréik

Derived terms

Compound words

• eperhere
• farkashere
• tarlóhere

 

Expressions

• apró here
• arany here
• bíbor here
• egyvirágú here
• erdei here
• fehér here
• földbentermő here
• havasi here
• hólyagos here
• lándzsás here
• magyar here
• pusztai here
• réti here
• sávos here
• sudár here
• sziki here
• tavaszi here

 

Further reading

• (testicle): here in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (drone): here in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• (clover): here in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Latin

Etymology 1

From Pre-Latin/Proto-Italic *hezi, from Proto-Indo-European *(dʰ)ǵʰyési, locative form of *(dʰ)ǵʰyés (“yesterday”).

Alternative forms

• heri

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈhe.re/, [ˈhɛrɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.re/, [ˈɛːre]

Adverb

here (not comparable)

1. yesterday

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈheː.reː/, [ˈheːreː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.re/, [ˈɛːre]

Verb

hērē

1. second-person singular present active imperative of hēreō

Further reading

• “here”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• here in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch hēro, hērro.

Noun

hêre m

1. lord, high-ranked person
2. God, the Lord
   • 1249, Schepenbrief van Bochoute, Velzeke, eastern Flanders:

     Descepenen van bochouta quedden alle degene die dese lettren sien selen i(n) onsen here.

     The aldermen of Bochoute address all who will see this letter by our lord.

3. ruler
4. leader
5. gentleman (respectful title for a male)

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

- general:

• hereloos
• heren
• herenbroot
• herendienst
• herengelt
• herengoet
• herengroot
• herengulden
• herenhofstede
• herennoot
• herenpacht
• herenpont
• herenvede

 

- persons:

• ambachtshere
• baenritshere
• biechthere
• broothere
• capittelhere
• clochere
• cloosterhere
• coorhere
• craemhere
• doemhere
• dusenthere
• erfhere
• gronthere
• groothere
• hallehere
• halshere
• hovethere
• huushere
• jonchere
• kerchere
• laethere
• lanthere
• leenhere
• leitshere
• maenhere
• mijnhere
• oosthere
• opperhere
• orlogeshere
• overhere
• pachthere
• panthere
• parhere
• pijnhere
• provendehere
• raemhere
• raethere
• rijnhere
• scheideshere
• schermhere
• schiphere
• schoonhere
• schouthere
• smalhere
• swegerhere
• tiendehere
• tijnshere
• toverhere
• velthere
• verlaetshere
• vrihere
• vuurhere
• wijnhere
• withere

 

Descendants

• Dutch: heer
  • Afrikaans: heer
• Limburgish: hieër

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *heri, from Proto-West Germanic *hari, from Proto-Germanic *harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kóryos.

Noun

hēre n

1. army, band of troops

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: heer

Further reading

• “here (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “here (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “here (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “here (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page II

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English here, from Proto-West Germanic *hari, from Proto-Germanic *harjaz (“army; commander”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛːr(ə)/

Noun

here

2. a military force; a troop, host, or army
3. a group of people; a team, band, throng, or mass
4. any group or set of things or creatures
5. fighting, battle; conflict between armed forces
6. (rare) participation in the armed forces

Alternative forms

• her, heir, herre, ere, har, hare, hyre
• hære, heare, heore, hir, hire (Early Middle English)

Related terms

• herberwe

Descendants

• Scots: here, heir, heyr

References

• “hēre, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English heora, hira, genitive of hīe (“they”).

Determiner

here (nominative pronoun he)

1. Third-person plural genitive determiner: their

Pronoun

here (nominative he)

1. Third-person plural possessive pronoun: theirs, of them

Alternative forms

• her, heare, heir, er, ere, herre, hero, hir, hire, ire
• har, hare, ar, are, ȝare (Kent)
• hur, hure, hura, huere, hurre (Southern, Southwest Midland)
• hor, hore, or, ore, hora, heor, heore, heora, heoræ, hoere, har, hare, ar, are, ȝare (West Midland)
• hor, hore, or, ore, hora, heor, heore, heora, heoræ, hoere (Early Middle English)

Derived terms

• heres

Related terms

• he (“they”)

Descendants

• English: her (obsolete)
• Yola: aar, 'ar

See also

Middle English personal pronouns

			nominative	accusative	dative	genitive	possessive
singular	1st-person		I, ich, ik	me		min mi1	min
	2nd-person		þou	þe		þin þi1	þin
	3rd-person	m	he	him hine2	him	his	his hisen
		f	sche, heo	hire heo	hire		hire hires, hiren
		n	hit		hit him2	his, hit	—
dual3	1st-person		wit	unk		unker
	2nd-person		ȝit	inc		inker
plural	1st-person		we	us, ous		oure	oure oures, ouren
	2nd-person4		ye	yow		your	your youres, youren
	3rd-person	inh.	he	hem he2	hem	here	here heres, heren
		bor.	þei	þem, þeim		þeir	þeir þeires, þeiren

¹Used preconsonantally or before h.
²Early or dialectal.
³Dual pronouns are only sporadically found in Early Middle English; after that, they are replaced by plural forms. There are no third-person dual forms in Middle English.
⁴Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References

• “hē̆r(e, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

From Old English hēore, hȳre (“pleasant”), from Proto-Germanic *hiurijaz (“familiar; mild”).

Adjective

here

2. pleasant, gentle
3. noble, excellent

Alternative forms

• her, hær, harey

Descendants

• English: here

References

• “hẹ̄r(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 4

From Old English hǣre, hēre and Old French haire, itself from Germanic.

Noun

here (plural heres or heren or here)

2. haircloth

Alternative forms

• her, heare, eare, hair, haire, haigre, hare, heir, heire, heiȝre, hayr, hayre, hayer, heyr, heyre

Descendants

• English: haire
• Scots: heir

References

• “hẹ̄r(e, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 5

Noun

here (plural heren)

1. Alternative form of herre (“lord”)

Etymology 6

Noun

here (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of hire (wages)

Etymology 7

Noun

here (plural heres)

1. Alternative form of hare (“hare”)

Etymology 8

Determiner

here

1. Alternative form of hire (“her”, genitive)

Pronoun

here

1. Alternative form of hire (“hers”)

Etymology 9

Determiner

here

1. Alternative form of hire (“her”, object)

Etymology 10

Adverb

here

1. Alternative form of her (“here”)

Etymology 11

Noun

here (plural heres)

1. Alternative form of heir (“heir”)

Etymology 12

Noun

here (plural heres)

1. Alternative form of yeer (“year”)

Etymology 13

Adjective

here

1. comparative degree of he (“high”)

Etymology 14

Verb

here

1. Alternative form of heren (“to hear”)

Etymology 15

Verb

here

1. Alternative form of hiren (“to hire”)

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *hari, from Proto-Germanic *harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ker-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxe.re/, [ˈhe.re]

Noun

here m (nominative plural herġas)

1. army, military (especially of the enemy)

Usage notes

• While here was mainly used for enemy armies, derived compounds such as landhere (“land army”) and sċiphere (“navy”) were still used of either side.

Declension

Strong ja-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	here	herġas
accusative	here	herġas
genitive	herġes	herġa
dative	herġe	herġum

Coordinate terms

• fierd

Derived terms

• fēþehere
• heregrīma
• herehȳþ
• heretoga
• landhere
• rǣdehere
• sċiphere
• stælhere

Derived names

• Ælfhere
• Æþelhere
• Ċēolhere
• Dōmhere
• Ēadhere
• Ealdhere
• Ealhhere
• Herebeald
• Herefriþ
• Herela
• Heremōd
• Hereweald
• Hereweard
• Herewine
• Herewulf
• Hloþhere
• Nōþhere
• Ohthere
• Pleġhere
• Ræġenhere
• Tāthere
• Waldhere
• Wulfhere
• Wynhere

 

Descendants

• Middle English: here
  • Scots: here, heir, heyr

Saterland Frisian

Alternative forms

• heere

Etymology

From Old Frisian hēra, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀijan. Cognates include West Frisian hearre and German horen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈheːrə/
• Hyphenation: he‧re

Verb

here

1. (transitive) to hear
2. (intransitive) to obey
3. (intransitive) to belong to

Conjugation

Conjugation of here (weak type 1)

Grúundfoarme			here
Infinitive			tou heren
Present tense				Past tense
iek	here	wie	here	iek	heerde	wie	heerden
du	heerst	jie	here	du	heerdest	jie	heerden
hie/ju/dät	heert	jo	here	hie/ju/dät	heerde	jo	heerden
Present participle		Imperative		Auxiliary		Past participle
herend		Singular	heer	häbe		heerd
		Plural	heret

References

• Marron C. Fort (2015) “here”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈheːˌreː/

• Audio (Småland):

  (file)

Noun

here c

1. (Southern) boy, lad
   • 1895 January 11, Johannes Sundblad, “Botill Bogesdotter. Tidsbild från Dackefejden. [Botill Bogesdotter. A scene from the time of the Dacke Feud.]”, in Smålands Allehanda, page 4:

     Man kallar mig »Siggemåla-heren», för den jordkula, i hvilken jag kom till världen, ligger på dettas egor ... Hållen öfver dopfunten och vattenöst har jag nog aldrig blifvit, så att något kristet namn kan jag ej uppge.

     They call me "the lad of Siggemåla," for the earthen mound in which I was born lies upon this estate... I have never been held over the baptismal font and sprinkled with water, so I cannot provide any Christian name.

     A footnot clarify "here = a boy about 14–15 years of age"

   • “Växjö vill vara lite storstadlikt”, in Sveriges Radio (in Swedish), 2012 August 14, page Växjö wants to be a bit like a big city.: “Jag tror att Växömålet vill vara lite storstadslikt, det målet har vi inte i Alvesta, säger han och berättar att här kan kille och tjej kallas för here och grebba. ― I think that Växjö dialect wants to be a bit like a big city dialect, we don't have that in Alvesta, he says and explains that here a boy and girl can be called "here" and "grebba."”

   Synonyms: kille, pojke, påg

   Antonym: gräbba (“girl”)

Derived terms

• småhere (“young boy”)

Yola

Adverb

here

1. Alternative form of haar
   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 84:

     Th' valler w'speen here, th' lass ee chourch-hey.

     The more we spend here, the less in the churchyard.

   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 86:

     Vrem ee Choure here aloghe up to Cargun.

     From the Choure here below up to Cargun.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867