hobby

The word 'hobby' has a fascinating journey from a personal name to a term for a favorite pastime. It originates from the Middle English 'hoby' or 'hobyn', a name for a small horse or pony, which itself was a pet form of the name 'Robin'. By the 16th century, 'hobby-horse' referred to a child's toy horse, often a stick with a horse's head. The concept of a favorite activity or preoccupation, something one rides for amusement, evolved from this playful association. By the early 19th century, the shortened form 'hobby' became established in its modern sense of a pleasurable leisure pursuit.

The modern English word 'hobby' is a simplex form. It is a loanword derived from the Middle English 'hoby', a pet form of the personal name 'Robin' or 'Hobbe'.