An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hure

by Friedrich Kluge

Hure, f., ‘whore,’ from MidHG. huore, OHG. huora, huorra (from *hôrjô, Goth.?), f.; comp. AS. and MidE. hôre, E. whore, with an excrescent w), Du. hoer, OIc. hóra, f., ‘whore’; in Goth. hôrs, m., is ‘whoremonger’ (but kalki, f., ‘whore’). To these are allied OHG. huor, n., ‘adultery, fornication,’ OIc. hôr, AS. hôr, n.; probably also MidHG. herge, f., ‘whore’ (Goth. *harjô)?. The Teut. root hôr- is related to Lat. carus, ‘dear,’ OIr. cara, ‘friend,’ and caraim, ‘I love.’ Its connection with Harn is less probable, although Gr. μοιχός, ‘adulterer.’ is formed from ὀμειχεῖν, ‘mingere.’ In Slav.-Lith., too, words with cognate sounds are found in the sense of ‘whore.’ OSlov. kurŭva, f. (Lith. kùrva, f.), is perhaps derived from the Teut. word.