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stork

Etymology and origin of the English word stork

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /stɔɹk/; /stɔːk/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English stork, inherited from Old English storc,[2][3][4][5][6] from Proto-Germanic *sturkaz,[3][4] related to German Storch and Old Norse storkr.[3][4][5][6] It is probably related to Old English stearc “stiff”, the source of stark, from the bird's stiff posture.[3][4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A large wading bird with long legs and a long stout bill (before 800).[7][3]

Semantic evolution

The stork was traditionally a symbol of fidelity and was the subject of many legends.[4][7] The children's story that babies are brought by the stork is recorded in English by 1854, from German and Dutch nursery tales,[4] probably from the belief that storks nesting on a roof brought good luck and family happiness.[4]

Timeline

  • before 800 – the bird.[7][3]
  • c. 1460 – the bird as food.[7]
  • 1854 – the stork that brings babies.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Any of various large, mostly Old World wading birds of the family Ciconiidae, with long legs and a long, stout, straight bill.
  2. (the stork) The bird as the mythical bringer of new babies.

Word family

  • storksbill
  • adjutant stork
  • white stork
  • stark
  • heron
  • crane
  • ibis

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Stork.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/stork. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·