Hessian Boot
/ˈhɛsiən buːt/noun
A sturdy boot, originally a riding or military boot with a low heel and side gusset.
Did you know?The name comes from Hessians, soldiers from the German state of Hesse hired by Britain during the American Revolutionary War, so the boot’s title is a historical label, not a mystical symbol.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Germanic
Germanic
*hess-
“A regional name associated with the area that became Hesse”
Middle High German
MHG
Hessen
“The people of Hesse”
18th Century
English
Hessian
“A soldier from Hesse, especially one serving in foreign armies”
18th Century
English
Hessian boot
“A boot associated with Hessian soldiers, then a fashionable riding boot”
Modern English
English
hessian boot
“A sturdy boot with a low heel and side gusset”
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