Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “horehound” come from?

horehound (English) comes from Middle English horehoune, from Old English hārhūne, from Old English hār, from Proto-Germanic hairaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₃- — darkness, shadow.

horehound (English): Any plant of the genus "Marrubium"; Any plant of...

Definitions

  1. Any plant of the genus "Marrubium"; Any plant of...

Ancestry of “horehound”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhorehounehorehound; black horehound
2Old Englishhārhūne—
3Old Englishhārgray, gray-haired; grey-haired; hoar, hoary,...
4Proto-Germanichairazgrey; aged; old; lofty; distinguished
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱeh₃-darkness, shadow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₃- →