An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/hoffen
hoffen, vb., from equiv. MidHG. (espec. MidG.), hoffen, ‘to hope,’ which is not yet used, however, by the classicists of the MidHG. period (they employ the term gedingen, wk. vb., with which gedinge, ‘hope,’ is connected; OHG. gidingen and gidingo); it is also unknown to OHG. In OLG., on the other hand, a corresponding tô-hopa, ‘hope,’ is found. The vb. appears earliest in E.; AS. tôhopa, ‘hope,’ AS. hopian, equiv. to E. to hope. At a later period Du. hopen and MidLG. hopen occur. Not until the latter half of the 13th cent. does MidHG. hoffen become more prevalent, after its solitary occurrence since 1150 A.D. It is usually considered as a LG. loan-word. For the early history of the word the corresponding abstract AS. hyht, ‘hope,’ is significant, since it shows that Teut. hopôn represents *huqôn (Aryan root kug). Its connection with Lat. cupio is scarcely possible.