Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hoax” come from?

Hoax derives from English hocus, a word of unknown origin and meaning that appeared in the late 17th century.

hoax (English): To deceive by making them believe something that...

Definitions

  1. To deceive by making them believe something that...

Ancestry of “hoax”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latiniocusa joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport
2Proto-Italicjokosword, saying
3Proto-Indo-Europeanyokosword, utterance
4Proto-Indo-Europeanyek-to utter

Words derived from “hoax”

  • hoaxer
  • hoaxster
  • hoaxter
  • hoaxlike
  • hoaxical
  • hoaxee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yek- →