hound

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

Hound’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hundaz meant “dog.” Cognate with Greek 'kyōn' and Latin 'canis'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as hund. The everyday word for any dog, until 'dog' took over. It reached English by 1500s as hound. Narrowed to hunting dogs; the verb 'to hound' dates from the 1520s. Today, hound means a dog, especially one used for hunting.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient hundaz "dog", cognate with Greek 'kyōn' and Latin 'canis'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s hund "dog", the everyday word for any dog, until 'dog' took over.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s hound "hunting dog", narrowed to hunting dogs; the verb 'to hound' dates from the 1520s.