- hazy
- 1625, hawsey, nautical, of unknown origin. Some connect it with Ger. hase "hare," an animal which plays an important part in Gmc. folklore, with many supernatural and unlucky aspects in medieval times (among the superstitions: a dead hare should not be brought aboard a fishing ship, and the word hare should not be spoken at sea). Another suggestion is O.E. hasu, haswe "gray." Haze (n.) is from 1706, probably a back-formation. Sense of "confusion, vagueness" is 1797.The Eng. differentiation of mist, fog, haze is unmatched in other languages (where the same word generally covers all three and often "cloud" as well), and may be a reflection of the Eng. climate.