Page "Hogshead" Paragraph 6

The etymology of hogshead is uncertain.

According to English philologist Walter William Skeat ( 1835-1912 ), the origin is to be found in the name for a cask or liquid measure appearing in various forms in several Teutonic languages, in Dutch oxhooft ( modern okshoofd ), Danish oxehoved, Old Swedish oxhufvod, etc.

The word should therefore be " oxhead ", " hogshead " being a mere corruption.

It has been suggested that the name arose from the branding of such a measure with the head of an ox.