English
hollow
Hollow comes from Old English holh ‘a hollow’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover, hide’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱel-‘to cover, hide’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hulazreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hulwiją‘depression, hollow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*holhreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150holh‘a hollow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500holow
- Englishearliest quotation 1820hollow
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱel-‘to cover, hide’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hulazreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hulwiją‘depression, hollow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*holhreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150holh‘a hollow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500holow
- Englishearliest quotation 1820hollow
Earliest quotation: 1820, Geoffrey Crayon pseudonym; Washington Ir, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: “This road leads through a sandy hollow shaded by…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover, hide’
hell, cell, hall, color, ceiling, helmet, halt, hull, holder, helm, conceal, occult, clandestine, holden, sari, uphold, sala, cilia, recline, declination, declension, haugh, seel, halberd, hele, tricolour, 37 more
through Proto-Germanic *hulaz
Another origin of hollow
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500holweas holowe
- Englishtodayhollow
Today it means
noun A small valley between mountains.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- / hollow