Etymology: Probably ultimately shortened < Old English hægtesse (also attested as haehtis , hægtes , haegtis , hegtis , hætse , etc.) sorceress, witch (also used to refer to mythological beings such as the Furies and to Jezebel), cognate with Middle Dutch haghetisse , Old High German hagazussa , hazussa , hazus , hazassa , hazissa , etc. (Middle High German hecse , German Hexe ; > Middle Dutch hexe (Dutch heks ), Swedish häxa , Danish heks , †hekse ), further etymology uncertain and disputed; the first element has frequently been taken to be the Germanic base of haw n.¹The forms shown by the word in Middle English suggest that it developed from an unattested Old English *hægge . If this arose by shortening < hægtesse , the geminated medial consonant is easiest to explain as due to expressive gemination. The combination of shortening and expressive gemination may perhaps be compared with the Old English personal name type (hypocoristic in origin) represented by Ceadda , Ælla , Æbbe , etc. The senses at branch II. probably all developed from branch I., sense 8 probably on account of the perceived unpleasant appearance and behaviour of the fish, senses 7 and 9 perhaps on account of a general association with the uncanny, although it is not impossible that one or more of these senses may show a different (unknown) origin.

Etymology: < early Scandinavian *haggwa- (compare Old Icelandic hǫgg blow, stroke, cut, notch, gap, felling of trees, rocky point or ledge, cliff edge, Norwegian (Bokmål) hugg , hogg , (Nynorsk) hogg blow, stroke, cut, Old Swedish hug blow, stroke, cut, bite, felling of trees, the right to do this (Swedish hugg ), Old Danish hog , hug blow, stroke, cut (Danish hug )) < the same Scandinavian base as Old Icelandic hǫggva to hew (see hag v.¹).Compare the similarly formed West Frisian hou blow, stroke, Middle Dutch houw blow, stroke, cut, felling or coppicing of trees, the right to do this, area of woodland set aside for cutting, felling, or coppicing (Dutch houw , now only in sense ‘blow, stroke, cut’), Middle Low German houw blow, stroke, cut, felling or coppicing of trees, the right to do this, Middle High German hou felling or coppicing of trees, area of woodland set aside for cutting, felling, or coppicing (German Hau , now only regional in sense ‘blow, stroke, cut’), all < the respective verbs cited at hew v. Compare also Shetland Scots hogg , hugg (also hoggi , huggi ) blow, stroke, beating, the children's game of tag (early 20th cent. or earlier; < the unattested Norn cognate of the Scandinavian words listed above). Use in place names. Attested earlier in place names from former Danelaw counties (apparently in sense ‘area of woodland set aside for cutting, felling, or coppicing’; compare sense 3a), as e.g. Haggesgata, North Riding, Yorkshire (c1175–89; now Haggsgate), Hagg, North Riding, Yorkshire (c1180; now Abbot Hag), Stonihag, East Riding, Yorkshire (a1200; now lost), Northhagge, Nottinghamshire (a1300; now lost), Le Hagg, Northumberland (1342; now Hagg Wood), etc., although some of these examples probably reflect the early Scandinavian rather than the English word (it is noteworthy that the first element of Stonihag is clearly English).

Etymology: Probably shortened < hagboat n.

Etymology: Probably < hag v.² There may also be some semantic influence from hag v.¹ Compare hagging n.³

Etymology: < early Scandinavian *haggwa (compare early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) hagua , Old Icelandic hǫggva , Old Swedish hugga (Swedish hugga ), Old Danish hogge (Danish hugge )), cognate with Old English hēawan hew v.Compare also Shetland Scots hjogg, hjugg to cut, tear, pluck (early 20th cent. or earlier; < the unattested Norn cognate of the Scandinavian words listed above).

Etymology: < hag n.¹ The semantic development is somewhat unclear. Sense 1b clearly developed directly from hag n.¹ Senses 3 and 4 may also show some influence from haggard adj. 4; perhaps compare also fag v.¹ There may also have been some influence from hag v.¹ Compare hag n.⁴