Etymology Map
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Fox

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a wild animal of the dog family with a bushy tail

Where does the word "fox" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic fuhsaz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
fuhsaz
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"fox"
perhaps 'the tailed one', related to Sanskrit 'puccha', tail
2
Stage 2 of 3
fox
Old English · 700s-1000s
"fox"
the foxglove was already 'foxes glofa' in Old English; its female 'vixen' keeps an old southern 'v' pronunciation
3
Stage 3 of 3
fox
English · 1500s
"fox"
the soldier's 'foxhole' dates from the First World War
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Read the full story

Fox’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: fuhsaz meant “fox.” Perhaps 'the tailed one', related to Sanskrit 'puccha', tail. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as fox. The foxglove was already 'foxes glofa' in Old English; its female 'vixen' keeps an old southern 'v' pronunciation. It reached English by 1500s as fox. The soldier's 'foxhole' dates from the First World War. Today, fox means a wild animal of the dog family with a bushy tail.