Hound Was Once the Word for Every Dog
A hound is a hunting dog. In Old English it meant any dog at all, until the newer word dog took over.
A hound is a dog used for hunting, especially by scent. Old English *hund* meant any dog, and it matches the general word in every related language: German *Hund*, Dutch *hond*, Danish *hund*. English is the odd one out, because a rare word *docga* pushed *hound* into a narrow role and became the general term. Where *dog* itself came from remains unknown, which is remarkable for so common a word.
- A hunting dog. *A pack of hounds.*
- To pursue relentlessly. *Hounded by the press.*
- Foxhound, greyhound, bloodhound — the types. *A bloodhound.*
- Dog — the word that replaced it. *A dog.*
- German — *Hund*, any dog. *The cognate.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hound | A hound. |
| Plural | hounds | The hounds. |
| Verb | hound | Hound him. |
| Past | hounded | Hounded out. |
| Old English | hund | A dog. |
- The hounds picked up the scent.Hunting.
- He was hounded out of office.Verb.
- Hund still means dog in German.Cognate.
Types of hound
- Scent hounds — bloodhound, beagle, basset, follow by smell
- Sighthounds — greyhound, whippet, saluki, hunt by speed and sight
- Bloodhound — can follow a trail days old
- Greyhound — reaches over 65 kilometres an hour
- Hound in dog breeding is a formal group, not just a description
Old English *hund*, a dog, from a Germanic root shared with German *Hund*, related to Latin *canis*.
Why did dog replace hound?
A rare Old English word docga spread and took the general meaning, pushing hound into the narrower hunting sense. Where docga came from is unknown.
What is the difference between scent hounds and sighthounds?
Scent hounds track by smell and endurance; sighthounds hunt by sight and speed.