heofon

== Middle English == === Proper noun === heofon (Early Middle English) alternative form of hevene === Noun === heofon (Early Middle English) alternative form of hevene == Old English == === Alternative forms === heben, hefæn, hefen, hefon, heafun, heofen, heofun, heofan, hiofon heofene, heofone, hefene — weak === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *hebn. Probably related to both Proto-West Germanic *himil and Proto-Germanic *himinaz, but the origins of the relationship are mysterious. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈxe͜o.fon/, [ˈhe͜o.von] === Noun === heofon m or f sky late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy heaven late 10th century, Ælfric, Lives of Saints ceiling ==== Usage notes ==== Heofon is consistently strong and masculine in early Old English (up to c. 950), but in late Old English it is usually feminine, often as weak heofone. The meaning heaven, like certain locations or abstract concepts, does not use the definite article. The meaning sky uses the definite article most of the time when singular, though there are a fair number of apparently interchangeable exceptions. There is some overlap between the usage of this word and lyft (“air, sky”). See there for more. ==== Declension ==== masculine Strong a-stem: feminine Strong ō-stem: ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Middle English: hevene, efne, even, evne, heaven, hefne, heoven, heovene, heven, hevyn, hewn, hewne, hæfene, hæfne, hæven, heffne, heofen, heofne, heofon, hoven (Early Middle English), heeven, hefen, heiven, heivin, hevin, hewuyn, heyven, hewen, hewyn (Northern), hoevene (Herebert)English: heaven, HeavenScots: heiven, HeivenYola: heaaven, heoven