An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/haft

by Friedrich Kluge

haft, adj. suffix, as in schmerzhaft, lebhaft, &c.; prop. an independent adj., ‘combined with,’ which was used as a suffix even in MidHG. and OHG.; in Goth. audahafts, ‘overwhelmed with happiness, supremely happy.’ This suffix is usually identified with the adj. hafta-, Lat. captus, discussed under Haft (2.). It might also be derived from the root hab, ‘to have,’ Lat. habere; the meaning supports the latter supposition.