Hus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used in Scandinavian languages to mean 'house' ; an alternate spelling or archaic form for dwelling ; a surname or reference to historical figures like Jan Hus
2. Referring to a residence or building for habitation ; serving as a last name, most notably of a Czech religious reformer ; representing the concept of a home in North Germanic contexts
3. Denoting a structure meant for living in ; used in names, especially those of notable individuals such as a 15th-century theologian ; the Scandinavian word corresponding to 'house'

Etymology: Jan Hus, the Czech religious reformer, bore a surname that comes from "husa," the Czech word for "goose." Polish, Slovak and Jewish families carry the same name with the same origin, so a waterfowl lies behind a religious reformer's name. The Dutch and German version follows a different path. It is a variant of "Huss," drawing on "huis" or "Haus," meaning house, and on the much older Proto-West Germanic ""hugi," meaning "spirit" or "mind." That same root lies behind the English name Hugh, so one surname links a dwelling with a word for thought. In Norway, the surname comes straight from "hus," meaning house. The sense of home in North Germanic usage also crossed into French through the Frankish ""hūs," a reminder that a word for a building once travelled from a Germanic dialect into Romance speech.

Synonyms: house, home