English
hugger-mugger
Hugger-mugger may come from Irish cogar ‘whisper’.
- Irishc. 1200–presentcogar‘whisper’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602hugger-mugger
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Irishc. 1200–presentcogar‘whisper’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602hugger-mugger
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “[…]; and we haue done but greenly In hugger…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘beside, near, by, with’
among, competition, conference, consider, gain, consistent, concrete, counter, con, comply, cum, commodity, cue, compulsory, hind, likeness, contra, compel, connotation, concierge, kata, condiment, condescend, limbed, 32 more
Today it means
adj Secret, clandestine, sly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Irish cogar / hugger-mugger