heus

Etymology 1

Etymology 2

heu + vos. Compare Portuguese eis, Spanish he.

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hovesch, and thus the same word as hoofs (“courtly”).

For the semantic and phonetic development of this word compare also German hübsch (“pretty”) and Central Franconian höösch (“careful, slow”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -øːs

Adjective

heus (comparative heuser, superlative meest heus or heust)

1. friendly, polite
2. real, genuine
3. impressive for being undistinguishable from the real thing; nothing less than...

   Komende zaterdag wordt ons lokaal omgetoverd tot een heuse discotheek.

   You won't believe it, but next Saturday, the hall (of our youth movement) will be transformed into a real discotheque.

Adverb

heus

1. really, actually, genuinely

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /heu̯s/
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eu̯s/

Interjection

heus

1. hey!, ho!, ho there!, listen!
   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid I.321

     Ac prior, 'Heus' inquit 'iuvenes, monstrate mearum

     And previously he said, "Hey young men, show me [...]"

   • 52 BCE, Cicero, Pro Milone XXII

     Heus tu Rufio

     Hey you! Rufio!