*stokk

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *stokk "stick, post; trunk, stump" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz (“stick”),^[2][3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *stukka- and Orel as *stukkaz.^[2][4] Boutkan and Siebinga set up Proto-Frisian *stokk.^[5]

Morphology

A masculine a-stem.^[3][6] Old English stocc is neuter.^[7][3] Kroonen derives the Proto-Germanic noun from the strong verb *stekan- "to stick";^[2] EWA allows this as one of two explanations, neither of which it finds satisfying.^[3]

Evidence

The noun is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English stocc, Old Frisian stok, Old Saxon stokk and Old High German stoc,^[2][4][3] and in Old Dutch as ⟨stoche⟩, glossing Latin cippus (“pillar, post”) in the North-east Lower Rhenish Prudentius glosses of 951–1000.^[8] Köbler lists this gloss under both Old Dutch and Old Saxon.^[9][6] Old High German has the word in glosses from the late 8th century.^[3]

Old French estoc (“tree stump, stock; lineage”), recorded from the 12th century, is a loan from Frankish according to Gamillscheg,^[10] and EWA takes it from West Germanic, probably from Old Low Franconian;^[3] ONW lists the source as Frankish *stok, after the FEW.^[8] Köbler derives Tuscan stocco (“pole round which a straw stack is built”) from Lombardic *stok.^[11]

Competing analyses

Kroonen, Orel and EWA take Old English stocc for a reflex of *stukka-,^[2][4][3] while Köbler puts it with *stukkja-, the ancestor of *stukkī.^[7]

Meanings

1. stick, post^[2][1]
2. trunk, stump^[1]

Old English also used the word for "block, log, pillory, trumpet",^[7] Old Frisian for the stocks in which prisoners' feet were locked,^[12] and Old High German for "peg, stalk, shrub, molar".^[3] Only Old Frisian made an adjective stok (“stiff”) from the noun.^[3][13]

Reflexes

• Old English: stocc (“stick, trunk, stump, block, post, trumpet”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: stok (“stick, staff; stocks”)^[12]
• Old Saxon: stokk (“stick, stem”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: stoche (“stick”)^[8]
• Old High German: stoc (“peg, post, trunk, stump, stalk”)^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *stokk
2. ^ a b c d e f Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 487
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. stoc
4. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 383
5. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. stok
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stok
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stocc
8. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. stok
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. stok
10. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 420
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *stok
12. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. stok
13. ^ Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. stukka-