hog

The word 'hog' has a direct and ancient lineage from Proto-Germanic, likely from a root meaning a young animal. It entered Old English as hogg, originally denoting a specific type of domesticated animal, often a young sheep before its meaning specialized to refer primarily to swine. The logic of its semantic evolution is clear: from a general term for a young farm animal, it narrowed to mean a pig, especially one raised for meat. The modern figurative senses of greediness and selfish appropriation derive naturally from the perceived behavior of pigs, completing the journey from a concrete animal name to an abstract character trait.

This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The Old English form was hogg, which likely referred to a young sheep or pig. Its functional role is as a complete lexical root.