The origin of words: HOOT

Hoot dates back to the late 12th century. The Middle English verb huten or houten, meaning ‘to shout or call out,’ is most likely of imitative origin, and was first used regarding sounds made by people. It was expanded to describe the calls of certain birds (especially owls) in the mid-15th century. The meaning ‘to call or shout out in disapproval or concern’ dates back to around the year 1600, while the meaning ‘to laugh’ didn’t appear until the 1920s. The noun comes from the verb, and dates back to the mid-15th century, when it originally meant ‘a cry of contempt or dissatisfaction.’ The meaning ‘a laugh’ and, by extension, ‘something funny,’ first appeared in the 1940s. The sense ‘tiny amount or particle’ (as in “don’t give a hoot”) is from the late 19th century.