Where does “foxhole” come from?
Foxhole derives from Middle English foxhol, from Old English foxhol, combining Old English fox with hol, from Proto-Germanic hulaz meaning "hollow," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- meaning "to conceal."
foxhole (English): The burrow in the ground where a fox lives; A...
Definitions
- The burrow in the ground where a fox lives; A...
Ancestry of “foxhole”, step by step
foxhole traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |