Etymology Map
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Horse

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a large, solid-hoofed mammal used for riding, racing, and pulling loads

Where does the word "horse" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic hrussą, passing through Old English before entering English (medieval).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hrussą
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"horse"
unlike Latin 'equus' or Greek 'hippos', this root is unrelated to the shared Indo-European word for horse, and its ultimate origin remains unknown
2
Stage 2 of 3
hors
Old English · old english
"horse or horses"
a neuter noun whose plural stayed identical to the singular, much like modern 'sheep' or 'deer'
3
Stage 3 of 3
horse
English · medieval
"a large hoofed mammal used for riding and pulling"
James Watt coined 'horsepower' in the 1780s to market his steam engines by comparing them to a horse's pulling power
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Horse’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hrussą meant “horse.” Unlike Latin 'equus' or Greek 'hippos', this root is unrelated to the shared Indo-European word for horse, and its ultimate origin remains unknown. By old english, the word had taken hold in Old English as hors. A neuter noun whose plural stayed identical to the singular, much like modern 'sheep' or 'deer'. It reached English by medieval as horse. James Watt coined 'horsepower' in the 1780s to market his steam engines by comparing them to a horse's pulling power. Today, horse means a large, solid-hoofed mammal used for riding, racing, and pulling loads.