Etymologically
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hub

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Pronunciation

Etymology

It is of unknown or uncertain origin,[2][3][4][5] probably a variant of hob, a shelf beside a fireplace,[6][7][8] perhaps originally a lump or round protuberance.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The hob of a fireplace: 1511, obsolete.[9][3][8]

Semantic evolution

Word Origins notes that the word did not appear in any dictionary until the 19th century,[8] and Barnhart that the record shows it as a dialect word until then.[3] The central part of a wheel is from 1649,[9][3] a wheelwright's word not generally known until about 1828, which spread with the vogue for cycling.[2][3] A centre of activity or importance is first recorded in 1858 in Oliver Wendell Holmes, who called the Boston State House the hub of the solar system,[2][3][9] and Boston itself was nicknamed the Hub.[2][6] A transport centre and, in computing, a device connecting computers in a network are modern senses.[7]

Timeline

  • 1511 – the hob of a fireplace.[9]
  • 1649 – the centre of a wheel.[9]
  • c. 1828 – in general use.[2]
  • 1858 – a centre of activity.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The central part of a wheel, fan or propeller, through which the axle passes.
  2. A centre of activity or interest; a focal point.
  3. An airport or station from which many routes operate.
  4. (computing) A device connecting computers in a network.

Word family

  • hubcap
  • hub-and-spoke
  • hob

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  8. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press