happen
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
happen
- /ˈhæpən/
Rhymes with -æpən
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kob-der.
Proto-Germanic *hampą
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Germanic *-janą
Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder.
Old Norse *happader.?
▲
Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder.
Old Norse *heppader.?
Old English hæppander.?
Middle English happen
Proto-Indo-European *-o-
Proto-Indo-European *-nom
Proto-Indo-European *-onom
Proto-Germanic *-aną
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Germanic *-janą
Old English -an
Middle English -en
Middle English happenen
English happen
From Middle English happenen, hapnen, augmented from Middle English happen (“to come to pass, happen”), perhaps from Old English hæppan (“to move accidentally, slip”) and/or from Old Norse *happa, *heppa, from Proto-Germanic *hampijaną (“to fit in, be fitting”). Equivalent to hap (“a chance, occurrence, byfall”) + -en (verbal suffix).
verb happens · happening · happened
- To occur or take place. Let me tell you how it happened.
- To happen to; to befall. 'By my soul! I believe something bad has happened me,' he muttered, and popped up his window, and looked out, half dreaming over the church-yard on the park beyond […]
- To do or occur by chance or unexpectedly. Take an umbrella in case it happens to rain.
- To encounter by chance. Unexpectedly, in a nook close by the farmhouse, he happened upon a spot where the vintage had actually commenced.
- To become popular or trendy.
Similar: bechance, befall, behap, belimp, betide, betime, beworth, chance, come about, come to pass, crop up, evene
adverb
- maybe, perhaps. Yeah, well happen if he'd gone quietly, she wouldn't have needed to show him who's in charge.
