husk

husk · noun, verb¹

1. Middle Dutch · derived fromhusekijn“little house, core of fruit, case”
2. Middle Low German · derived fromhûs(e)ken
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kawəs- / kawes-“cover”
4. Proto-Germanic · derived from*husǭ“covering, shell, leggings”
5. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*hosā
6. Old English · inherited from*husuc, *hosuc“little covering, sheath”
7. Middle English · inherited fromhuske
8. English todayhusk

From Middle English huske, husk (“husk”). Perhaps from Old English *husuc, *hosuc (“little covering, sheath”), diminutive of hosu (“pod, shell, husk”), from Proto-West Germanic *hosā, from Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“covering, shell, leggings”), from Proto-Indo-European *kawəs- / kawes- (“cover”). If so, equivalent to hose + -ock. Alternatively from Middle Low German hûs(e)ken, hü̂seken (“little house, sheath”), Middle Dutch husekijn (“little house, core of fruit, case”), diminutive of hûs (“house”). Compare Dutch huisje, German Häuschen, both also used for “snailshell”.

husk · noun, verb²

Partly imitative, partly from Etymology 1, above, influenced by husky.

Words from the same roots