Where does the term Hood come from?

[peteb]

Hood, like hoodlum, which is just a longer version of hood.

That's my question.

I've exhausted all my resources.


Only the TDPRI or the like has the knowledge.



I have an idea, but I would like to hear other more reasonable ideas first.

 

[Slow Reflexes]

The tale I read was that it was a reversed spelling of the name of a local family of ne'er-do-wells that has become a word of its own - Muldoon -> noodlum -> hoodlum.

Whether that's true.... :?:

Edit: I'm seeing a citation of the New English Dictionary (London, 1889) stating that "The name originated in San Francisco about 1870-72, and began to excite attention elsewhere in the U.S. about 1877, by which time its origin was lost, and many fictitious stories, concocted to account for it, were current in newspapers."

 

[BritishBluesBoy]

From Wiktionary:

"Etymology

Since 1871. Origin unknown, but many explanations have been put forward. Online Etymology Dictionary indicates that a guess as good as any is from German dialect (Bavarian) Huddellump (“ragamuffin”).

According to Herbert Asbury in his book The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld (1933, A. A. Knopf, New York), the word originated in San Francisco from the call of a particular street gang, huddle 'em. Thousands of resentful unemployed Irish workers beat up Chinese migrants. San Francisco newspapers thereafter took to calling street gangs "hoodlums"."

 

[Tim Armstrong]

Google is your friend.

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20010327

Tim

 

[puremania]

And another, similar story...

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hoodlum

 

[TheGoodTexan]

The first time I heard it was from NWA's "Boyz in the Hood", where it was short for neighborhood... as in,

Because the boys in the neighborhood are always tough
If you come around bragging about how great you are, we will kill you
The only thing in life that we're familiar with is being legitimate
But please do not quote me on that, because I did not say that on the record.

I'm pretty sure it's short for neighborhood.

 

[TheGoodTexan]

Wait... OP... are you asking about "hood" or "hoodlum"?

Because I'm pretty sure they are separate things.

 

[Slow Reflexes]

I'm pretty sure it's short for neighborhood.

Different hood. Hood ≠ 'hood.

Edit: Oh, you got that. Nevermind.

 

[TheGoodTexan]

If you look at that same website, and simply type in "hood"... and look at the third definition, you get exactly what I said about "hood".

"Hood" and "hoodlum" are not necessarily the same thing.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=hood&searchmode=none

Here's another one...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hood

 

[peteb]

Thanks for the replies, I didn't realize so much information was available.

I was thinking about the thug type of hood and not the neighborhood. But reading about the neighborhood hood made me think about brotherhood and how these hoods could be a kind of shelter or protection, much like the hood on a car, or the head covering, which could lead back to the thug, who uses a hood to hide his appearance.


The San Francisco origin sounds authentic but I did not catch it's origin. Rereading I see they credit the German Hudulump, ragamuffin, which I had read before, and find interesting that it too only goes back to 1870.


My theory gets no mention any where, but what seems like a logical link is that the original hood is Robin Hood. I just wanted to know if he was called Robinhood or Robberhood because he was a hood, or if hoods were called hoods because they acted like Robin Hood.

 

[soulgeezer]

Way more than you ever wanted to know, I'm sure:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/robin_01.shtml

 

[robt57]

Men in tights ?

 

[kelnet]

Weren't "hood," "thug," and "mobster" somewhat interchangeable back in the 20's and 30's? "Hood" certainly predates the hip hop version of neighbourhood.

Merriam-Webster gives this for "hoodlum" - perhaps from German dialect (Swabia) hudelum - disorderly
First Known Use: 1871

 

[Fred Garvin]

Please Bring Peace To The Neighborhood.

 

[Muddslide]

I haven't looked at the entry for this (if indeed it exists) but you can always seek out the aid of the reference dept. of your local library or ask to peruse their copy of the Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins.

 

[A.B.Negative]

It comes from the movie Robin And The Seven Hoods.

 

[middy]

I haven't looked at the entry for this (if indeed it exists) but you can always seek out the aid of the reference dept. of your local library or ask to peruse their copy of the Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins.

Or just remember two things: google.com and the word "etymology"

 

[garytelecastor]

I got this from an online etymology dictionary, but I have no idea. I always thought that it had to do with the practice of wearing hoods in the past to commit crimes.

hoodlum Look up hoodlum at Dictionary.com
popularized 1871, Amer.Eng., (identified throughout the 1870s as "a California word") "young street rowdy, loafer," especially one involved in violence against Chinese immigrants, "young criminal, gangster;" it appears to have been in use locally from a slightly earlier date and may have begun as a specific name of a gang:

The police have recently been investigating the proceedings of a gang of thieving boys who denominate themselves and are known to the world as the Hoodlum Gang. [San Francisco "Golden Era" newspaper, Feb. 16, 1868, p.4]

Of unknown origin, though newspapers of the day printed myriad fanciful stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from German dialectal (Bavarian) Huddellump "ragamuffin" [Barnhart].

What the derivation of the word "hoodlum" is we could never satisfactorily ascertain, though several derivations have been proposed; and it would appear that the word has not been very many years in use. But, however obscure the word may be, there is nothing mysterious about the thing; .... [Walter M. Fisher, "The Californians," London, 1876]

hood (n.2) Look up hood at Dictionary.com
"gangster," 1930, Amer.Eng., shortened form of hoodlum.

 

[brewwagon]

sherwood forest lol

robin hood's well 1422

 

[musicalmartin]

Huddellump is now my favorite insult