English
hoyden
Hoyden may come from Middle Dutch heyden ‘heathen, gypsy’.
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500heyden‘heathen, gypsy’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1796hoyden
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500heyden‘heathen, gypsy’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1796hoyden
Earliest quotation: 1796, Mary Wollstonecraft, Letters Written in Sweden: “Many of the country girls I met appeared to…”
Every English word from Middle Dutch heyden
Today it means
noun A rude, uncultured or rowdy girl or woman.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle Dutch heyden / hoyden