hondsdraf

From Middle Dutch gondrave (various spellings attested), where the first element is *gont (from Proto-Germanic *gundaz (“sore, boil, canker”); may not have existed as simplex in Middle Dutch) and the second is a by-form of Middle Dutch reve (“vine”) (see Proto-West Germanic *rebā); this refers to the plant's purported medicinal properties. This word is furthermore likely inherited from Old Dutch [Term?], and thence from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]; cognates include Old High German guntreba (“ground ivy”) (German Gundelrebe) and Middle Low German gundelrēve, gundelrāve.

The word is thus completely unrelated to both hond (“dog”) and draf (“trot”); the resemblance to these words is probably due to folk-etymological alteration.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦɔntsˌdrɑf/

• Audio:

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hondsdraf f (uncountable)

1. ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

   Synonym: aardveil

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “hondsdraf”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

• hondsdraf on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl