*hrōk

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *hrōk for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hrōkaz (“rook, crow”),^[1][2] which Kroonen reconstructs as *hrōka(n)- "rook, jackdaw" and calls originally onomatopoeic,^[2] and Köbler as *hrōka-, *hrōkaz "rook, crow".^[3] EWA also sets up Proto-Germanic *χrōka-.^[4]

Morphology

A strong masculine noun of the a-stems in Old English.^[5] Old High German has it as a masculine or neuter a-stem, beside a weak masculine ruoho,^[4] and Kroonen cites an Old Saxon feminine hrōka from an n-stem *hrōkōn-.^[2]

Evidence

Old English hrōc means "rook, crow" and glosses Latin graculus.^[5] Old High German ruoh is found in glosses from the third quarter of the 9th century, also spelt hruoh, and in personal names.^[4] Old Dutch has the word only in place names and as a byname,^[4] such as ⟨Ruch⟩ in names of Ghent from about 1000 to 1253.^[6] Gamillscheg derives French freux (“rook”), recorded from the 13th century in the Anglo-Norman forms frau and frys, from Frankish *hrōk, beside Old High German hruoh;^[7] de Vaan names it among the Frankish words borrowed into Gallo-Romance in which a Gallo-Romance f replaced the velar fricative.^[8]

Competing analyses

Köbler lists an Old Saxon hrōk (“crow, rook”) glossing Latin graculus.^[9] EWA doubts that it is Old Saxon: the only form that Tiefenbach cites, ⟨hrok⟩ in a Trier manuscript, is corrected from ⟨hroh⟩, and the manuscript is taken by some for Middle Franconian, so the form may be Middle Franconian too; the same holds for ⟨hruok⟩ and ⟨ruok⟩ in two other manuscripts.^[4] Gamillscheg derives French froc (“monk's habit”) from Frankish, connecting it with ⟨hroc⟩ in Old High German glosses, which he holds unrelated to German Rock,^[10] and de Vaan likewise keeps Frankish *hrok, behind froc, apart from *hrōk, behind freux.^[8]

Meanings

1. rook^[1]

Old High German glosses also render Latin cuculus and mergus with it,^[4] and Kroonen gives "rook, jackdaw" for the Proto-Germanic word.^[2]

Reflexes

• Old English: hrōc (“rook, crow”)^[5]
• Old Saxon: hrōk (“crow, rook”), uncertain^[9][4]
• Old Dutch: ruok (“rook”)^[6]
• Old High German: ruoh (“crow, rook”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hrōk
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 248
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hrōka-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ruoh
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hrōc
6. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. ruok
7. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 480
8. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2018), Historical Development of Dutch: Phonology & Morphology, Dialects & Stages, course reader, Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hrōk
10. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 482