Where does “hack” come from?
hack (English) comes from English hackysack, from English hackeysack, from English sack, from Middle English sak, from Old English sacc, from Old English sæcc, from Proto-West Germanic sakku, from Proto-Germanic sakkuz — sack; sackcloth; sackcloth vestment, penitential...
hack (English): To chop or cut down in a rough manner; To cough...
Definitions
- To chop or cut down in a rough manner; To cough...
Ancestry of “hack”, step by step
hack traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English hackysack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hackysack | Alternative form of hackeysack |
| 2 | English | hackeysack | A non-competition sport in which a small sack, or... |
| 3 | English | sack | A bag; especially a large bag of strong, coarse... |
| 4 | Middle English | sak | bag, sackcloth |
| 5 | Old English | sacc | sack, bag |
| 6 | Old English | sæcc | battle, strife, fighting |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | sakku | sack, bag |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | sakkuz | sack, bag, purse |
| 9 | Latin | saccus | sack, bag; purse, wallet, moneybag; garment of... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | σάκκος | sack; sackcloth; sackcloth vestment, penitential... |
via Yiddish האַק
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yiddish | האַק | axe |
| 2 | Middle High German | hacke | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | hacken | — |
| 4 | Old High German | hacchōn | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hakkōn | to hack, to chop |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hakkōną | To hack; chop; To hoe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | keg- | peg; hook |
via Middle English hak
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hak | Alternative form of hacche; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | hæc | a hatch; a gate |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hakkju | hatch; fence |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | haggju | hedge |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hagjō | hedge |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰyóm | enclosure, hedge |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |