*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of horn

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ ? Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nóm Proto-Germani

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

Of an animal, to assault with the horns. · To furnish with horns. · To cuckold. · To sound the horn of a motor vehicle; to honk.

noun

A hard growth of keratin that protrudes from the top of the head of certain animals, usually paired. · Any similar real or imaginary growth or projection such as the elongated tusk of a narwhal, the eyestalk of a snail, the pointed growth on the nose of a rhinoceros, or the hornlike projection on the head of a demon or similar. · An antler. · The hard substance from which animals' horns are made, sometimes used by man as a material for making various objects.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ ? Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nóm Proto-Germanic *hurną Proto-West Germanic *horn Old English horn Middle English horn English horn From Middle English horn, horne, from Old English horn, from Proto-West Germanic *horn, from Proto-Germanic *hurną. Compare West Frisian hoarn, Dutch hoorn, Low German Hoorn, horn, German Horn, Danish and Swedish horn, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (haurn). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-nó-m, from *ḱerh₂- (“head, horn”). Compare Breton kern (“horn”), Latin cornū, Ancient Greek κέρας (kéras), Proto-Slavic *sьrna, Old Church Slavonic сьрна (sĭrna, “roedeer”), Hittite [script needed] (surna, “horn”), Persian سر (sar), Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛṅga, “horn”). Doublet of corn (“callus”), corno, and cornu. (telephone): From the horn-shaped earpieces of old communication systems that used air tubes.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 19 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:horn",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱer-\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\n?\nProto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-nós\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós\nProto-Indo-European *-om\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nóm\nProto-Germanic *hurną\nProto-West Germanic *horn\nOld English horn\nMiddle English horn\nEnglish horn\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*hurną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*horn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"horn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"horn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"horn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"horn\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "horn, horne"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English horn, horne"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English horn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *horn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hurną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hurną"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "hoarn"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian hoarn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hoorn"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hoorn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "Hoorn"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German Hoorn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Horn"
      },
      "expansion": "German Horn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish horn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (haurn)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "",
        "4": "*ḱr̥h₂-nó-m"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-nó-m"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "br",
        "2": "kern",
        "3": "",
        "4": "horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Breton kern (“horn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "cornū"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin cornū"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "κέρας"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek κέρας (kéras)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sla-pro",
        "2": "*sьrna"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Slavic *sьrna"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cu",
        "2": "сьрна",
        "3": "",
        "4": "roedeer"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Church Slavonic сьрна (sĭrna, “roedeer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "hit",
        "2": "",
        "3": "",
        "4": "horn",
        "tr": "surna"
      },
      "expansion": "Hittite [script needed] (surna, “horn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fa",
        "2": "سر",
        "tr": "sar"
      },
      "expansion": "Persian سر (sar)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "शृङ्ग",
        "3": "",
        "4": "horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛṅga, “horn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "corn<id:callus><t:callus>",
        "3": "corno",
        "4": "cornu"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of corn (“callus”), corno, and cornu"
    },
    {
      "name": "sense",
      "args": {
        "1": "telephone"
      },
      "expansion": "(telephone):"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:horn",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱer-\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\n?\nProto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-nós\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós\nProto-Indo-European *-om\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nóm\nProto-Germanic *hurną\nProto-West Germanic *horn\nOld English horn\nMiddle English horn\nEnglish horn"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ḱer-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱer-#Proto-Indo-European:_grow"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱerh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱerh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_head"
    ],
    [
      "*-nós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-nós"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱr̥h₂nós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱr̥h₂nós"
    ],
    [
      "*-om",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-om"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱr̥h₂nóm",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱr̥h₂nóm"
    ],
    [
      "*hurną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hurną"
    ],
    [
      "*horn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/horn"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "horne",
      "horne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*horn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/horn"
    ],
    [
      "*hurną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hurną"
    ],
    [
      "hoarn",
      "hoarn#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "hoorn",
      "hoorn#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Hoorn",
      "Hoorn#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Horn",
      "Horn#German"
    ],
    [
      "horn",
      "horn#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽",
      "𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽#Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱerh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱerh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "kern",
      "kern#Breton"
    ],
    [
      "cornū",
      "cornu#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "κέρας",
      "κέρας#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*sьrna",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sьrna"
    ],
    [
      "сьрна",
      "сьрна#Old_Church_Slavonic"
    ],
    [
      "سر",
      "سر#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "शृङ्ग",
      "शृङ्ग#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "corn",
      "corn#English:_callus"
    ],
    [
      "corno",
      "corno#English"
    ],
    [
      "cornu",
      "cornu#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Of an animal, to assault with the horns.",
        "To furnish with horns.",
        "To cuckold.",
        "To sound the horn of a motor vehicle; to honk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "obsolete",
        "slang",
        "India",
        "Singapore",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 157371
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A hard growth of keratin that protrudes from the top of the head of certain animals, usually paired.",
        "Any similar real or imaginary growth or projection such as the elongated tusk of a narwhal, the eyestalk of a snail, the pointed growth on the nose of a rhinoceros, or the hornlike projection on the head of a demon or similar.",
        "An antler.",
        "The hard substance from which animals' horns are made, sometimes used by man as a material for making various objects."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "c315263da18bddf6b96318a94d666c802b1f5f115bd5e60dc188b2abccf5acbc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0c11c9a4bb5522b9e7c764be9f8400ed632ab3916e036c3fc72a7db042cc8330",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 157370
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 19,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for horn →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aG9ybg