Where does “hoof” come from?
Hoof comes from Old English hōf, from Proto-Germanic hōfaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱoph₂ós, a word for the hard covering on animal feet.
hoof (English): The tip of a toe of an ungulate such as a horse,...
Definitions
- The tip of a toe of an ungulate such as a horse,...
Ancestry of “hoof”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hof | measure, reason |
| 2 | Old English | hōf | court, hall |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *hōf | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hufą | hill, elevated place; house, hall, estate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | keup- | to arch, bend, buckle; a hollow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | keu- | bend; vault, hole; to shine; light; bright |
Words derived from “hoof”