An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Hohn

by Friedrich Kluge

Hohn, masculine, ‘scorn, scoffing,’ from Middle High German (very rare), hôn, masculine, Old High German (very rare), hôna, feminine, ‘scorn, mockery, ignominy’; a feminine substantive formed from an old adjective, Old High German *hôn, represented by hôni, ‘despised, ignominious, base,’ Gothic hauns, ‘base,’ Anglo-Saxon heán (obsolete in the beginning of the Middle English period), ‘base, miserable, ignominious.’ With this is connected the verb höhnen, from Middle High German hœnen, Old High German hônen, weak verb, ‘to abuse’; compare Gothic haunjan, ‘to degrade,’ to which hauneins, ‘humility,’ is allied; Anglo-Saxon hŷnan, ‘to degrade, humble’ (from the Old High German verb French honnir, ‘to cover with disgrace,’ and honte, ‘disgrace,’ are derived). It corresponds in the non-Teutonic language to Lettic kauns, ‘shame, ignominy, disgrace,’ Lithuanian kuveti-s, ‘to be ashamed’; hence Gothic hauns. ‘humble, base,’ can hardly have originated in the sensuous meaning ‘base.’