An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hohn

by Friedrich Kluge

Hohn, m., ‘scorn, scoffing,’ from MidHG. (very rare), hôn, m., OHG. (very rare), hôna, f., ‘scorn, mockery, ignominy’; a fem. subst. formed from an old adj., OHG. *hôn, represented by hôni, ‘despised, ignominious, base,’ Goth. hauns, ‘base,’ AS. heán (obsolete in the beginning of the MidE. period), ‘base, miserable, ignominious.’ With this is connected the vb. höhnen, from MidHG. hœnen, OHG. hônen, wk. vb., ‘to abuse’; comp. Goth. haunjan, ‘to degrade,’ to which hauneins, ‘humility,’ is allied; AS. hŷnan, ‘to degrade, humble’ (from the OHG. vb. Fr. honnir, ‘to cover with disgrace,’ and honte, ‘disgrace,’ are derived). It corresponds in the non-Teut. language to Lett. kauns, ‘shame, ignominy, disgrace,’ Lith. kuveti-s, ‘to be ashamed’; hence Goth. hauns. ‘humble, base,’ can hardly have originated in the sensuous meaning ‘base.’