Etymograph

English

hyena

Hyena comes from Ancient Greek ὗς ‘swine, pig’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *suH-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*suH-‘pig, hog, swine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hūs‘swine’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὗςhûs‘swine, pig’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὕαιναhúaina
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhyaena
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500hyēna
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400hiene
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hiena
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1961hyena

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*suH-‘pig, hog, swine’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hūs‘swine’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὗςhûs‘swine, pig’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὕαιναhúaina
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhyaena
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500hyēna
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400hiene
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hiena
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1961hyena

Earliest quotation: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “The udder of the hyena, tied on the left…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *suH- ‘pig, hog, swine’

swine, sow, 7 more

Today it means

noun Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *suH- / hyena

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