Where does “huff” come from?

Huff derives from Middle English huffen, from Old English hūffian, from Proto-Germanic huffjan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to blow or swell.

huff (English): A heavy breath; a grunt or sigh; An expression of...

Definitions

  1. A heavy breath; a grunt or sigh; An expression of...

Ancestry of “huff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhoughThe hollow behind the knee; To hamstring;...
2Middle EnglishhoughThe heel rear of a foot
3Old Englishhōhheel, hough; hill spur, promontory; promontory
4Proto-West Germanic*hą̄hheel
5Proto-Germanichanhazheel
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱenk-to hang

Words derived from “huff”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱenk- →