English
hoy
Hoy may come from German Heu ‘hay’.
- Germanc. 1650–presentHeu‘hay’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1590hoy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Germanc. 1650–presentHeu‘hay’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1590hoy
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto X: “He sent to Germanie, straunge aid to reare, From…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂- ‘to beat, hew, forge’
through Proto-Germanic *hawwaną ‘to hew’
hag, hog, haggis, hoe, hew, 2 more
through Proto-West Germanic *hawi ‘hay’
Another origin of hoy
- English1500–presentahoyuncertain
- Dutchc. 1500–presenthoi‘a greeting acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence, comparable to English hey, hi’
- Englishtodayhoy
Today it means
noun A small coaster vessel, usually sloop-rigged, used in conveying passengers and goods, or as a tender to larger vessels in port.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / German Heu / hoy