Where does “cowhide” come from?
Cowhide derives from English cow and hide, where hide comes from Old English hȳdan, Old Norse kúga, and Proto-Indo-European (s)kew-, originally meaning to cover or conceal.
cowhide (English): A hide of a cow; Any quantity of hides of cows;...
Definitions
- A hide of a cow; Any quantity of hides of cows;...
Ancestry of “cowhide”, step by step
cowhide traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hide
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hide | To put in a place where it will be harder to... |
| 2 | Middle English | hide | hide; concealment; hiding spot |
| 3 | Middle English | hiden | to conceal, hide; to cover up, wrap up, surround;... |
| 4 | Old English | hȳdan | to hide, conceal, preserve; to conceal; hide |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hūdijaną | to hide, conceal |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewdʰ- | to cover, encase; to hide, conceal; to cover,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kew- | to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,... |