An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/hoffen
hoffen, verb, from equivalent Middle High German (especially Middle German), hoffen, ‘to hope,’ which is not yet used, however, by the classicists of the Middle High German period (they employ the term gedingen, weak verb, with which gedinge, ‘hope,’ is connected; Old High German gidingen and gidingo); it is also unknown to Old High German. In Old Low German, on the other hand, a corresponding tô-hopa, ‘hope,’ is found. The verb appears earliest in English; Anglo-Saxon tôhopa, ‘hope,’ Anglo-Saxon hopian, equivalent to English to hope. At a later period Dutch hopen and Middle Low German hopen occur. Not until the latter half of the 13th century does Middle High German hoffen become more prevalent, after its solitary occurrence since 1150 A.D. It is usually considered as a Low German loan-word. For the early history of the word the corresponding abstract Anglo-Saxon hyht, ‘hope,’ is significant, since it shows that Teutonic hopôn represents *huqôn (Aryan root kug). Its connection with Latin cupio is scarcely possible.