English word origin

Etymology of horse

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A hoofed mammal, Equus ferus caballus, often used throughout history for riding and draft work. · Any member of the species Equus ferus, including the Przewalski's horse and the extinct Equus ferus ferus. · Any current or extinct animal of the family Equidae, including zebras and asses. · A male horse, as opposed to a mare.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós? Proto-Indo-European *h₁wers-? Proto-Indo-European *wers- Proto-Indo-European *-ḗn Proto-Indo-European *wérsēn Proto-Indo-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šā Proto-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šāder.? Proto-Germanic *hrussą Proto-West Germanic *hross Old English hors Middle English hors English horse From Middle English hors, horse, ors, from Old English hors (“horse”), from Proto-West Germanic *hors, *hross, from Proto-Germanic *hrussą (“horse”), most likely from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós (“vehicle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”). Doublet of car and carrus. Cognates Cognate with Scots horse (“horse”), West Frisian hoars (“horse”), Cimbrian ross (“horse”), Dutch hors, ros (“horse”), German Ross, Roß (“horse”), Danish and Norwegian Nynorsk hors (“horse, mare”), Faroese hors, ross (“horse”), Icelandic hross (“horse”), Swedish russ (“horse”); also Cornish karr (“car”), Welsh car (“car; cart, wagon”), Latin currus (“car, chariot; wagon, wain”), Ancient Greek ἐπίκουρος (epíkouros, “aiding, assisting; defending; ally, helper; hireling”), Tocharian A kursär (“vehicle; mile”), Tocharian B kwarsär (“course; path”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionhorsenm
Inherited-form mentionhorsang · horse
Inherited-form mention*hrossgmw-pro
Inherited-form mention*hrussągem-pro · horse
Inherited-form mention*ḱr̥sósine-pro · vehicle
Derivation mention*ḱers-ine-pro · to run
Doublet mentioncaren
Doublet mentioncarrusen
Cognate mentionhorsesco · horse
Cognate mentionhoarsfy · horse
Cognate mentionrosscim · horse
Cognate mentionhorsnl
Cognate mentionRossde
Cognate mentionhorsfo
Cognate mentionhrossis · horse
Cognate mentionrusssv · horse
Cognate mentionkarrkw · car
Cognate mentioncarcy · car; cart, wagon
Cognate mentioncurrusla · car, chariot; wagon, wain
Cognate mentionἐπίκουροςgrc · aiding, assisting; defending; ally, helper; hireling
Cognate mentionkursärxto · vehicle; mile
Cognate mentionkwarsärtxb · course; path

This page abbreviates 18 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.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:hors<id:horse>",
        "id": "Equus ferus",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱers-\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós?\nProto-Indo-European *h₁wers-?\nProto-Indo-European *wers-\nProto-Indo-European *-ḗn\nProto-Indo-European *wérsēn\nProto-Indo-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šā\nProto-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šāder.?\nProto-Germanic *hrussą\nProto-West Germanic *hross\nOld English hors\nMiddle English hors\nEnglish horse\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"id\" : \"virile man\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"virile man\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"virile man\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"id\" : \"rain\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₁wers-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"rise\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wers-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominal suffix\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ḗn\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wérsēn\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-Iranian\", \"term\" : \"*(w)ŕ̥šā\", \"lang\" : \"iir-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Iranian\", \"term\" : \"*(w)ŕ̥šā\", \"lang\" : \"ira-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*hrussą\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*hross\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"hors\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"hors\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"horse\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"Equus ferus\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"horse\" id=\"English:_Equus_ferus\">"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "hors"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English hors"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hors",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hors (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hross",
        "4": "*hors, *hross"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hors, *hross"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hrussą",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hrussą (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*ḱr̥sós",
        "t": "vehicle"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós (“vehicle”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*ḱers-",
        "t": "to run"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "car",
        "3": "carrus"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of car and carrus"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "horse",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots horse (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "hoars",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian hoars (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cim",
        "2": "ross",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Cimbrian ross (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "hors"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hors"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Ross"
      },
      "expansion": "German Ross"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da,nn",
        "2": "hors",
        "t": "horse, mare"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish and Norwegian Nynorsk hors (“horse, mare”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "hors"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese hors"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hross",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hross (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "russ",
        "t": "horse"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish russ (“horse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "kw",
        "2": "karr",
        "t": "car"
      },
      "expansion": "Cornish karr (“car”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "car",
        "t": "car; cart, wagon"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh car (“car; cart, wagon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "currus",
        "t": "car, chariot; wagon, wain"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin currus (“car, chariot; wagon, wain”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "ἐπίκουρος",
        "t": "aiding, assisting; defending; ally, helper; hireling"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἐπίκουρος (epíkouros, “aiding, assisting; defending; ally, helper; hireling”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "xto",
        "2": "kursär",
        "t": "vehicle; mile"
      },
      "expansion": "Tocharian A kursär (“vehicle; mile”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "txb",
        "2": "kwarsär",
        "t": "course; path"
      },
      "expansion": "Tocharian B kwarsär (“course; path”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:hors<id:horse>",
        "id": "Equus ferus",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱers-\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós?\nProto-Indo-European *h₁wers-?\nProto-Indo-European *wers-\nProto-Indo-European *-ḗn\nProto-Indo-European *wérsēn\nProto-Indo-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šā\nProto-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šāder.?\nProto-Germanic *hrussą\nProto-West Germanic *hross\nOld English hors\nMiddle English hors\nEnglish horse"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ḱers-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱers-#Proto-Indo-European:_run"
    ],
    [
      "*-ós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ós#Proto-Indo-European:_vrddhi"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱr̥sós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱr̥sós#Proto-Indo-European:_vehicle"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁wers-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁wers-#Proto-Indo-European:_rain"
    ],
    [
      "*wers-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wers-#Proto-Indo-European:_rise"
    ],
    [
      "*-ḗn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ḗn#Proto-Indo-European:_nominal_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "*wérsēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wérsēn#Proto-Indo-European:_virile_man"
    ],
    [
      "*(w)ŕ̥šā",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/(w)ŕ̥šā#Proto-Indo-Iranian:_virile_man"
    ],
    [
      "*(w)ŕ̥šā",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Iranian/(w)ŕ̥šā#Proto-Iranian:_virile_man"
    ],
    [
      "*hrussą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hrussą#Proto-Germanic:_horse"
    ],
    [
      "*hross",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hross#Proto-West_Germanic:_horse"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Old_English:_horse"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Middle_English:_horse"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "horse",
      "horse#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ors",
      "ors#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*hors, *hross",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hross"
    ],
    [
      "*hrussą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hrussą"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱr̥sós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱr̥sós"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱers-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱers-"
    ],
    [
      "car",
      "car#English"
    ],
    [
      "carrus",
      "carrus#English"
    ],
    [
      "horse",
      "horse#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "hoars",
      "hoars#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "ross",
      "ross#Cimbrian"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ros",
      "ros#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Ross",
      "Ross#German"
    ],
    [
      "Roß",
      "Roß#German"
    ],
    [
      "Danish",
      "hors#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "hors",
      "hors#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "ross",
      "ross#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "hross",
      "hross#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "russ",
      "russ#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "karr",
      "karr#Cornish"
    ],
    [
      "car",
      "car#Welsh"
    ],
    [
      "currus",
      "currus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ἐπίκουρος",
      "ἐπίκουρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "kursär",
      "kursär#Tocharian_A"
    ],
    [
      "kwarsär",
      "kwarsär#Tocharian_B"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Ahtna",
      "lang_code": "aht",
      "word": "xoos",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Krio",
      "lang_code": "kri",
      "word": "ɔs"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Maroon Spirit Language",
      "lang_code": "crp-mar",
      "word": "as"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Maroon Spirit Language",
      "lang_code": "crp-mar",
      "word": "has"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Sranan Tongo",
      "lang_code": "srn",
      "word": "asi",
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Aukan",
          "lang_code": "djk",
          "word": "ási"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Saramaccan",
          "lang_code": "srm",
          "word": "hási"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Tok Pisin",
      "lang_code": "tpi",
      "word": "hos"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "word": "hōiho",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Quiripi",
      "lang_code": "qyp",
      "word": "hosses",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A hoofed mammal, Equus ferus caballus, often used throughout history for riding and draft work.",
        "Any member of the species Equus ferus, including the Przewalski's horse and the extinct Equus ferus ferus.",
        "Any current or extinct animal of the family Equidae, including zebras and asses.",
        "A male horse, as opposed to a mare."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

Synonym of horse around. · To play mischievous pranks on. · To provide with a horse; supply horses for. · To get on horseback.

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

From Middle English horsen, from Old English horsian (“to horse, provide with horses”) and ġehorsian (“to horse, set or mount on a horse, supply with horses”), from the noun (see above).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionhorsenenm
Inherited-form mentionhorsianang · to horse, provide with horses

This page abbreviates 10 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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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "horsen"
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "3": "horsian",
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      },
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    }
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      "horsen",
      "horsen#Middle_English"
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      "gehorsian#Old_English"
    ]
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        "Synonym of horse around.",
        "To play mischievous pranks on.",
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        "To get on horseback."
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Heroin (drug).

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

Unknown; probably originally criminals' cant based on the initial letter of heroin and horse.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "Heroin (drug)."
      ],
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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 horse →

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-aG9yc2U