English word origin

Etymology of humph

A natural utterance, first recorded in the mid-16th century.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary 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

To utter "humph!" in doubt or disapproval.

intj

A sound, usually made with a closed mouth pouting, indicating annoyance, indignation, disapproval, doubt, or sighing.

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

A natural utterance, first recorded in the mid-16th century.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To utter \"humph!\" in doubt or disapproval."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "1dba97f28af6bc400df184c91b32bfbd291cbe3f1beb55caef94a706c0aadbbd",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ba2689b6b148243d2ac0db1c21e2c70b10188b70e148eb7aa3f5f42d515e1fda",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1111434
    },
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "A sound, usually made with a closed mouth pouting, indicating annoyance, indignation, disapproval, doubt, or sighing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "onomatopoeic"
      ],
      "recordId": "57d9758733bd8a5db608639817049c21912a0a97dc3d31451f6c847b5ebd677c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "43480a501bb1f30308de4230d2a796b33b5a2c67b3abe5668040d15b7db4d924",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1111433
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "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 humph →

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-aHVtcGg