*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of hub

From earlier hubbe, which has the same immediate origin as hob. Hub was originally a dialectal word; its ultimate origin is unknown. Compare German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”), from Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hi

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
name

Alternative letter-case form of Hub.

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

From earlier hubbe, which has the same immediate origin as hob. Hub was originally a dialectal word; its ultimate origin is unknown. Compare German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”), from Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hill”) (which contains a diminutive suffix *-il); compare English hive, or perhaps ultimately from the same root as hip or hop.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Hubbel",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bump on a surface"
      },
      "expansion": "German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmw-pro",
        "2": "*hubil",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bump, hill"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hill”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hive"
      },
      "expansion": "English hive"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "hubbe",
      "hubbe#English"
    ],
    [
      "hob",
      "hob#English"
    ],
    [
      "Hubbel",
      "Hubbel#German"
    ],
    [
      "*hubil",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hubil"
    ],
    [
      "*-il",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-il"
    ],
    [
      "hive",
      "hive#English"
    ],
    [
      "hip",
      "hip#English"
    ],
    [
      "hop",
      "hop#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative letter-case form of Hub."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 230432
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave. · A point where many routes meet and traffic is distributed, dispensed, or diverted. · A central facility providing a range of related services, such as a medical hub or an educational hub. · A computer networking device connecting several Ethernet ports. See switch.

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

From earlier hubbe, which has the same immediate origin as hob. Hub was originally a dialectal word; its ultimate origin is unknown. Compare German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”), from Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hill”) (which contains a diminutive suffix *-il); compare English hive, or perhaps ultimately from the same root as hip or hop.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 8 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": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Hubbel",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bump on a surface"
      },
      "expansion": "German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmw-pro",
        "2": "*hubil",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bump, hill"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hill”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hive"
      },
      "expansion": "English hive"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "hubbe",
      "hubbe#English"
    ],
    [
      "hob",
      "hob#English"
    ],
    [
      "Hubbel",
      "Hubbel#German"
    ],
    [
      "*hubil",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hubil"
    ],
    [
      "*-il",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-il"
    ],
    [
      "hive",
      "hive#English"
    ],
    [
      "hip",
      "hip#English"
    ],
    [
      "hop",
      "hop#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "hub",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.",
        "A point where many routes meet and traffic is distributed, dispensed, or diverted.",
        "A central facility providing a range of related services, such as a medical hub or an educational hub.",
        "A computer networking device connecting several Ethernet ports. See switch."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    "lexicalSenses": 8,
    "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 hub →

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-aHVi