Etymology Map
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Auger

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a tool with a spiral bit for boring holes

Where does the word "auger" come from? It comes from Old English nafogār, adopted directly into English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
nafogār
Old English · medieval
"hub-borer"
nafu 'hub of a wheel' (English 'nave') + gār 'spear', a tool for boring holes in wheel hubs
2
Stage 2 of 2
auger
English · 1400s
"boring tool"
'a nauger' was split as 'an auger', losing its first letter
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Read the full story

Auger’s story begins in Old English: nafogār meant “hub-borer.” Nafu 'hub of a wheel' (English 'nave') + gār 'spear', a tool for boring holes in wheel hubs. It reached English by 1400s as auger. 'a nauger' was split as 'an auger', losing its first letter. Today, auger means a tool with a spiral bit for boring holes.