Where does “hun” come from?

hun (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Old Norse húnn, from Proto-Germanic hūnaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱūnós, from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- — to swell; to be strong.

hun (Norwegian Nynorsk): a bear cub

Definitions

  1. a bear cub

Ancestry of “hun”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsehúnna bear cub; urchin; knob atop a mast-head
2Proto-Germanichūnazsomething swollen; a swelling; piece of wood;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱūnósswollen
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱewh₁-to swell; to be strong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱūnós →Every word from Proto-Germanic hūnaz →