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Etymology and origin of the French word estoc

estoc1 tree trunk, stump, lineage

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1190 Garnier de Pont-Sainte-Maxence
Borrowed from
Frankish *stok via Old French
Ultimate origin
Proto-Germanic *stukkaz

Pronunciation

Forms

estoc m (plural estocs)[1] Anglo-Norman estok, estoke, estuche.[2]

Etymology

The word for the tree trunk is inherited from Old French estoc (“stump, trunk”), borrowed from Frankish *stok (“stick, stump”),[3][4][5][6] from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz.[7] Wiktionary gives the Frankish form as *stokk.[1] It is cognate with German Stock (“stick”).[3][5][7] The Grand Robert adds an influence of Italian stocco (“pole”).[3] It is probably a doublet of étau.[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Garnier de Pont-Sainte-Maxence uses it about 1190, in his life of Thomas Becket: Bon ente en bon estoc deit bien fructifier “a good graft on a good stock should bear fruit”.[8][4][3] The DHLF dates it 1174–1176, and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary records it from 1171–1174 for the lower part of a trunk, a rootstock and a wooden post.[7][2]

Semantic evolution

The Old French word kept the Frankish sense “stump, trunk”, and also meant a stick or stake.[7][5] It survives in forestry in blanc-estoc (1730), also blanc-étoc (1751), the complete felling of a wood, and in couper à blanc-estoc “to cut level with the stump” (1741).[7][4]

From 1283, in Beaumanoir, it was used figuratively for the origin of a family, a sense alive until the 17th century,[7][4] in phrases such as de haut estoc “of high birth” (1482) and de son estoc “on one's own initiative” (1660), both now out of use.[7][3] Furetière (1690) records a legal sense, property passing by succession in the direct line.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1190 – Garnier de Pont-Sainte-Maxence uses estoc for a grafting stock.[4][8]
  • 1283 – Beaumanoir uses it for the origin of a family.[4][7]
  • 1482 – De haut estoc “of high birth” is recorded.[7]
  • 1660 – De son estoc “on one's own initiative” is recorded.[7]
  • 1690 – Furetière records the legal sense.[4]
  • 1730 – Blanc-estoc appears in forestry.[7]
  • 1741 – Savary des Bruslons records faire une coupe à blanc estoc.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (forestry) A tree stump: couper un arbre à blanc-estoc, to cut it level with the stump, faire une coupe à blanc-estoc, to leave nothing standing.[3][4][8]
  2. (archaic) lineage, extraction: être de bon estoc.[3][4][8]
  3. (law, obsolete) Property passing by succession in the direct line.[4][8]

Word family

  • blanc-estoc

estoc2 sword point, thrusting sword

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Back-formation
First attested
1176–1181 Chrétien de Troyes, Le Chevalier au lion
Ultimate origin
Proto-Germanic *stukōną

Pronunciation

Forms

estoc m (plural estocs)[1]

Etymology

The word for the sword point is a deverbal noun from Old French estochier (“to strike with the point”) (later estoquer).[9][7][5][3][1] The DHLF, Bloch and Wartburg and the TLFi take that verb from Middle Dutch stoken (“to prick, push”), compared with Middle Low German stoken (“to prick”);[7][5][9] Wiktionary takes it from Frankish *stokōn, from Proto-Germanic *stukōną (“to push, thrust”).[1] According to the DHLF the Germanic verb comes from the same root as the Frankish word for a stump.[7][3] Wiktionary allows some influence of estoc1 in the sense of a stick.[1]

The sense of a long straight sword is probably taken from Old Occitan estoc (about 1300), which Old Occitan had made a noun from the phrases colp d'estoc and ferir de l'estoc, themselves borrowed from Old French.[9][5][7] Italian stocco and Spanish estoque took the word from French or Occitan.[7][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Chrétien de Troyes uses ferir d'estoc “to strike with the point of the sword” in Le Chevalier au lion (1176–1181).[9][7][3]

Semantic evolution

About 1285 Jean de Meun's Vegetius glosses ferir de pointe as what the French call ferir d'estoc.[5][8] From the 15th to the 17th century the noun meant the point of the sword itself.[7][5] About 1470 Olivier de la Marche used it for a long straight sword (the GLLF has 1446), whence coup d'estoc and armes d'estoc, weapons made for thrusting.[9][4][7]

The word survives in frapper d'estoc et de taille “to strike with point and edge”, first found as d'estoc et de taillant in 1440–1475.[7][4] Larchey (1872) records a familiar figurative use for sharpness of wit, il a de l'estoc.[9] According to the DHLF, the old plural estoz gave étau.[7]

Timeline

  • 1176–1181 – Chrétien de Troyes uses ferir d'estoc.[9][7]
  • c. 1285 – Jean de Meun says the French call a thrust ferir d'estoc.[5][8]
  • c. 1300 – Old Occitan estoc “sword” is recorded.[9][5]
  • 1440–1475 – D'estoc et de taillant is recorded.[7]
  • 1446 – First record of the sense “sword”, according to the GLLF.[4][10]
  • c. 1470 – Olivier de la Marche uses it for a long straight sword.[9][7]
  • c. 1550 – It means the point of a sword.[4][5]
  • 1872 – Larchey records il a de l'estoc “he is sharp-witted”.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (historical) A long, straight sword made for thrusting, used in the 15th and 16th centuries.[10][3][4][9]
  2. (archaic or technical) The point of a sword: frapper d'estoc et de taille, to strike with the point and the edge, hence by every means, arme d'estoc, a thrusting weapon.[10][3][9]
  3. (figurative, familiar, obsolete) Sharpness of wit: il a de l'estoc.[9]
  • estoquer
  • estocade
  • étau
  • Frankish *stok

Usage notes

The numbering follows the Grand Robert; the TLFi and the DHLF number the sword word 1.[3][9][7] Littré notes that foresters in Normandy say blanc étoc.[8] The Grand Robert lists estocade and estoquer under the sword word, but the DHLF derives estocade from Italian stoccata.[3][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 238a
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

  • malle · also from Frankish
  • houx · also from Frankish
  • halle · also from Frankish
  • gué · also from Frankish
  • canif · also from Frankish
  • haïr · also from Frankish
  • étai · also from Frankish
  • barguigner · also from Frankish
Cite this entry

“Estoc.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/estoc. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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