Hewn

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hewn

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective (past participle of hew)

Pronunciation

hyoon  /hjuːn/

Definition

Cut or shaped with an axe, chisel, or similar implement, typically through chopping blows; shaped or formed through vigorous effort; hand-hewn refers specifically to timber or stone shaped by hand tools rather than machinery.

Plain meaning

Hewn is the past participle of hew — it describes something that has been cut or shaped with an axe or chisel. Hand-hewn timber is timber shaped by hand with an axe. A hewn stone is a stone dressed by a mason's chisel. Hewn suggests raw strength and ancient craft.

Register

Neutral to literary. Hewn in its literal sense is technical building and craft vocabulary. In its figurative or adjectival uses — rough-hewn, hand-hewn, hewn from the same stone — it often carries a connotation of authentic, unpolished quality or shared origin.