'hawkish' originates from English elements: the noun 'hawk' (from Old English 'hafoc') combined with the adjectival suffix '-ish' (from Old English '-isc', meaning 'having the nature of').

'hawk' comes from Old English 'hafoc' (from Proto-Germanic *habukaz); the modern English noun 'hawk' developed through Middle English and later combined with the suffix '-ish' to form 'hawkish'. The political sense (favoring force) developed later by comparison to the bird's aggressive nature.

Initially, 'hawkish' meant simply 'like a hawk' (resembling or having hawk-like traits); over time it evolved into specialized senses such as 'favoring aggressive military action' and, in economics, 'favoring tighter monetary policy (higher interest rates)'.