Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hough” come from?

Hough comes from Middle English ho, Old English hū, Proto-Germanic hwaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots including ḱe-, kewh₂-, kewk-, and kew-.

hough (English): The hollow behind the knee; To hamstring;...

Definitions

  1. The hollow behind the knee; To hamstring;...

Ancestry of “hough”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhough—
2Old Englishhōhheel, hough; hill spur, promontory; promontory
3Proto-West Germanic*hą̄h—
4Proto-Germanichanhazheel
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱenk-to hang

Words derived from “hough”

  • huff
  • huffy
  • huffily
  • huffiness
  • huffish
  • Hufflepuff
  • huffer
  • huffishly
  • Hougher
  • huffishness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱenk- →