'hawker' originates from Middle Dutch, specifically the word 'hoken', where 'hoken' meant 'to peddle or carry about goods for sale.'

'hoken' changed from the Middle Dutch word to the English word 'hawker' in the 16th century, and eventually became the modern English word 'hawker'.

Initially, it meant 'a person who travels about selling goods', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.