Old English word hēran comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱst-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ows-, Proto-Indo-European *-yéti, Proto-Indo-European *yé-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws (Ear.), Proto-Indo-European *kuHs-
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₂eḱst- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *h₂ows- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *-yéti | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | Creates intransitive, often deponent, imperfective verbs from roots. |
| *yé- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *h₂ṓws | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | Ear. |
| *kuHs- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *hūzijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To hire, pay. |
| *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | To be sharp-eared, to hear well. |
| *hauzijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To hear. |
| hȳran | Old English (ang) |