Haft
/hæft/noun
The handle of a knife, sword, axe, or similar tool or weapon.
Did you know?The same ancient Germanic root behind “haft” also produced words connected with holding, seizing, and captivity—making a weapon’s handle linguistically ‘the thing grasped.’
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“To grasp, seize, or take hold of; a proposed ancestral root connected with the Germanic family behind “haft.””
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*haftiz
“A handle or object held in the hand; the reconstructed source of the noun.”
Old English
Old English
hæft
“The handle of a tool or weapon.”
Middle English
Middle English
haft
“The handle or grip of a weapon, especially a knife or sword.”
Modern English
English
haft
“The handle of a knife, sword, axe, or similar implement.”