Etymology Map
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Hound

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a dog, especially one used for hunting

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

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