An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Huf

by Friedrich Kluge

Huf, masculine, from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German huof (genitive huoves), masculine, ‘hoof’; compare Old Saxon hôf, masculine, Anglo-Saxon hôf, English hoof, Dutch hoef, Old Icelandic hófr. Gothic *hofs, masculine, ‘hoof,’ is by chance not recorded. Teutonic hôfa-, from pre-Teutonic *kôpo-, to which is allied Old Slovenian kopyto, neuter, ‘hoof’ (akin to kopati, ‘to dig’); others derive hôfa- from pre-Teutonic kôpho- and compare it with Old Indian çaphá, Zend saƒa, ‘hoof.’ Compared with both these explanations, the derivation of Huf from heben must be rejected.