Today’s Word:
Hoyden (Noun)Pronunciation: [‘hoy-dn]
Definition 1: High-spirited, loud girl; a rude cut-up of a girl or woman.
Usage 1: Having provided you with a word to refer to an awkward boy, it is only fair to discuss a word referring to a girl of similar character. A hoyden, however, is different from a hobbledehoy, despite the similarity in the (unrelated) words. A hoyden is always high-spirited if a bit crude, while a hobbledehoy is merely awkward and naïve, and could be quite quiet Today’s word may also be used as an adjective meaning "high-spirited" or a verb meaning "to behave in a high-spirited way." However, the adjective with the full meaning of the noun is "hoydenish." The quality itself is "hoydenhood."
Suggested usage: We have all met irrepressible girls with scant sense of propriety, focused on boisterous frivolity at all times. Sometimes they are appreciated, "The little hoyden brightens up any party." They can be disruptive, however, "She is about as welcome as a hoyden in a convent."
Etymology: The origin of today’s word is quite obscure. It apparently is a corruption of a derivation from the archaic dialectal verb hoit "to indulge in obstreperous revelry." The participle of this verb, "hoiting," was often used as a noun referring to an awkward, unruly girl. "Hoyden" could be a reduction of this participle—a speculation supported by its alternative spelling: "hoiden." However, the trail ends with "hoit" for its origins are unknown. (Much gratitude is owed Jenny Kosarew, somewhere over in Jolly Old, for suggesting today’s lively word.)
[center]-Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com[/center]
As all will recognise, this is not my Word of the Day (can’t seem to penetrate the glass roof !), but since I seem unable to convince Brad of the utility of posting all WotD to the Agora and I think it helpful to provide a full background to responses, I took here the liberty of doing the job myself….
The origin of today’s word is quite obscure. It apparently is a corruption of a derivation from the archaic dialectal verb hoit "to indulge in obstreperous revelry." ... However, the trail ends with "hoit" for its origins are unknown.
Checking out cognates of the verb in Scandinavian languages (e g, Swedish «hojta»), I notice that these are said to be derived from calls, themselves cognate to English «hoy». But these interjections are homophonic to a noun (Sw «hoj», Eng «hoy») referring to a kind of sloop, which in older Dutch was called «heu» or «heude» (my emphasis, MHD). Note also that in these languages, the interjection in slightly modified form (Sw «åhoj», Eng «ahoy») is used to report sighting of a ship (interestingly enough, the English word is still used as a greeting among people of a certain age and social class in the Czech Republic). Could it be that we see here a progression from a noun for a kind of ship, to a report of sighting a vessel, to a verb meaning to shout, call out, to—via, as the good Dr Language suggests, a participle—a rowdy young lady ? All this, of course, is pure speculation on my part, and does nothing to explain the origin of «hoy» meaning sloop, which the etymologists say is of obscure origin. But speculation is fun, n’est-ce-pas ?...
Henri
