Where does “hitch” come from?

Hitch comes from Middle English hytchen, from Old English ġiċċan, from Proto-Germanic jukjaną, a verb of uncertain original meaning.

hitch (English): A sudden pull; Any of various knots used to...

Definitions

  1. A sudden pull; Any of various knots used to...

Ancestry of “hitch”, step by step

hitch traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English icchen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishicchento move as with a jerk; to move, jerk, stir
2Old Englishġiċċan—
3Proto-West Germanic*jukkjanto itch

via Middle English hytchen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhytchen—

via Middle English hichen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhichen—
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *jukkjan →Every word from Old English ġiċċan →Every word from Middle English icchen →