An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Haft

by Friedrich Kluge

Haft (1.), masculine, ‘hold, clasp, brace, rivet,’ from Middle High German and Old High German haft. masculine, ‘bond, fetter,’ Old High German also neuter, Anglo-Saxon hœft, masculine, Old Icelandic haft, neuter, ‘setter.’ Connected with the root haf in heben, literally ‘to seize.’

Haft (2.), feminine, ‘keeping, custody, prison,’ from Middle High German and Old High German haft (i stem) and hafta, feminine, Old Saxon hafta, feminine, ‘imprisonment.’ To this are allied Old High German and Old Saxon haft, Anglo-Saxon hœft, adjective, ‘captured,’ Old Icelandic haptr, masculine, ‘prisoner,’ hapta, feminine, ‘captured woman.’ The root haf (compare heben) has preserved in these forms its old signification; compare Latin captus, captîvus. See the following word.