An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Haft

by Friedrich Kluge

Haft (1.), m., ‘hold, clasp, brace, rivet,’ from MidHG. and OHG. haft. m., ‘bond, fetter,’ OHG. also n., AS. hœft, m., OIc. haft, n., ‘setter.’ Connected with the root haf in heben, lit. ‘to seize.’

Haft (2.), f., ‘keeping, custody, prison,’ from MidHG. and OHG. haft (i stem) and hafta, f., OSax. hafta, f., ‘imprisonment.’ To this are allied OHG. and OSax. haft, AS. hœft, adj., ‘captured,’ OIc. haptr, m., ‘prisoner,’ hapta, f., ‘captured woman.’ The root haf (comp. heben) has preserved in these forms its old signification; comp. Lat. captus, captîvus. See the following word.