Hair

Hair
This interesting Anglo-Gaelic medieval surname, spelt as Hare and Hair, has a number of possible origins. In England the first and most likely origin is from the pre 7th century word "hara" - the hare, and as such it is a nickname for a messenger or fast runner. This is almost certainly the case with the first known recording (see below). Occasionally the name can be topographical or locational, there are several places called Hare. In this case the derivation is from the ancient word "haer", meaning "stony ground", and therefore describing one at such a place. In Scotland and Ireland when the name is not imported from England, it is an anglicized spelling of the surname "O'hir", a nickname meaning the descendant of the fierce one! The very first recording anywhere is 12th Century (see below), whilst an early English example is that of Johannes Hare in the 1379 Poll Tax Rolls for Yorkshire. The surname first appears in Scotland in 1366, William Hare being a burgess of Edinburgh, although in 1430 one Patrick is recorded as Hayre, Hair, and Hare, in the same charter! An interesting namebearer, recorded in the "Dictionary of National Biography", was Sir Nicholas Hare. He was a judge during the reign of King Henry V111, as well as being an M.P. for Lancaster, being knighted in 1537. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Walter le Hare, which was dated 1166, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Surrey. This was during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • haïr — haïr …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • haïr — [ air ] v. tr. <conjug. : 10> • 1080; frq. °hatjan REM. Au Canada, [ ajir ] avec h muet : j hais. 1 ♦ Avoir (qqn) en haine. ⇒ détester, exécrer, honnir. « Ils nous haïssent de toute la haine du domestique pour le maître, du petit pour le… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • hair — W1S1 [heə US her] n [: Old English; Origin: hAr] 1.) [U] the mass of things like fine threads that grows on your head ▪ She put on her lipstick and brushed her hair . ▪ I must get my hair cut it s getting very long. ▪ You ve had your hair done… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Hair — (h[^a]r), n. [OE. her, heer, h[ae]r, AS. h[=ae]r; akin to OFries. h[=e]r, D. & G. haar, OHG. & Icel. h[=a]r, Dan. haar, Sw. h[*a]r; cf. Lith. kasa.] 1. The collection or mass of filaments growing from the skin of an animal, and forming a covering …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • *haïr — ● haïr verbe transitif (francique hatjan) Avoir de la haine pour quelqu un, lui vouloir du mal, abhorrer, exécrer quelqu un : Haïr les dictateurs. Avoir de la répugnance, de l aversion, de l horreur pour quelque chose : Haïr l hypocrisie. ● haïr… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • hair — HAIR. v. a (l h s aspire.) Vouloir mal à quelqu un. Haïr ses ennemis, les haïr mortellement, cruellement. haïr quelqu un à mort, le haïr à la mort. haïr son prochain, le haïr. comme la peste, le haïr en diable. haïr les meschans. haïr les… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • hair — [ her ] noun *** uncount the thing that grows on your head in a mass of thin fibers: long black hair a girl with dark shoulder length hair He wore his hair in a ponytail. You need to brush your hair before you go out. a. uncount hair that grows… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • hair — ► NOUN 1) any of the fine thread like strands growing from the skin of mammals and other animals, or from the epidermis of a plant. 2) strands of hair collectively, especially on a person s head. 3) a very small quantity or extent. ● hair of the… …   English terms dictionary

  • hair — do’s and dont’s have been a tricky subject in Chinese culture ever since the Manchu conquest in 1644. It has been observed by many writers and scholars that the transition from late imperial to modernity was, for many Chinese who lived at the… …   Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture

  • hair — [her, har] n. [ME here < OE hær (akin to Ger haar, Frank * harja) & < ? OFr haire, hair shirt < Frank * harja < IE base * k̑er(s) , to bristle] 1. any of the fine, threadlike outgrowths from the skin of an animal or human being 2. a… …   English World dictionary

  • hair´i|ly — hair|y «HAIR ee», adjective, hair|i|er, hair|i|est, noun, plural hair|ies. –adj. 1. covered with hair; having much hair: »hairy hads, a hairy ape …   Useful english dictionary

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