Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tailhook” come from?

tailhook (English) comes from English hook, from Swedish hök, from Old Swedish høker, from Middle Low German hȫker, from Old High German huchan, from Proto-Germanic *hūkan-, from Proto-Germanic *hūkkan-, from Proto-Germanic *huk(k)ōn- — flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten.

tailhook (English): A device attached to the empennage of some...

Definitions

  1. A device attached to the empennage of some...

Ancestry of “tailhook”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhookA rod bent into a curved shape, typically with...
2Swedishhöka hawk; a hawk; proponent of aggressive politics
3Old Swedishhøkerhawk
4Middle Low Germanhȫkerpeddler
5Old High Germanhuchan—
6Proto-Germanic*hūkan-—
7Proto-Germanic*hūkkan-—
8Proto-Germanic*huk(k)ōn-—
9Proto-Indo-European*kuk-néh₂—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱewk-flare up, glow; white; to glow, burn, lighten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱewk- →