Past tense of 'haw'; to turn to the left (command to a horse or ox) or to make a hesitant sound like 'haw' (often paired with 'hem').
From Old English 'haw,' possibly imitative in origin, representing the sound made or a command to animals. The '-ed' ending marks the simple past tense.
'Haw' and 'gee' are ancient animal commands still used by farmers and horsemen today, and they show how humans have always had special 'languages' for different animals—dogs get 'sit' and 'stay,' while horses got 'haw' and 'gee.'
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