stok

Forms

stok m (plural stokken, diminutive stokje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch stoc, inherited from Old Dutch stok, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stokk, inherited from Proto-Germanic *stukka- (“stick”).^[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon stok (“stem, stump, post, stick”) (Middle Low German stok), Old High German stok (“trunk, stick, stump, block”) (German Stock), Old Frisian stok (“stick, staff, block”) (West Frisian stôk), Old English stocc (“stump, trunk”) (English stock) and Old Norse stokkr (“stump, block”) (Swedish stock).^[2][3] Beside it stands Middle Low German stūke (“tree stump”), from a stem Proto-Germanic *stūkan-.^[2] The Old Dutch word was borrowed as Old French estoc (“stump, trunk”) (1172–1174), and Franck–Van Wijk add Italian stocco (“thrusting sword”).^[2][4][5]

The further origin is disputed.^[2][6] Most scholars connect the word with stuiken “to push, knock”: the word would first have meant what was knocked or cut off, a trunk or stump, formed like stuk “piece” from an iterative *stukkōn.^[2][5][7] Others derive it from steken “to stab”, with an original sense “poker”;^[2][3] Kroonen takes this view, comparing a Pre-Germanic participle ⟨*stug-nó-⟩.^[2][3] The EWN prefers the first view, because the senses “stump, bare trunk”, important in the old forest economy, cannot be derived from that verb;^[2][6][5][8] De Vries and Franck–Van Wijk object to that verb on the vowel, while Van Haeringen, following Güntert, thinks a reduced vowel makes it at least as possible.^[2][6][5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch stok first appears in place names: Stocheta near Loo in northern France, in 1119, with the sense “tree stump, trunk” and a collective suffix, and Stocdam in Zeeland, in 1197, with the sense “post”.^[2][4] In Middle Dutch the first record, from Ghent in 1237, is men salne setten drie daghe in den stoc, “he shall be put in the stocks for three days”; around 1240 a Limburg glossary renders Latin truncus “trunk” with stoc.^[2][9]

Semantic evolution

The oldest Germanic sense is “stump, trunk without branches”, which led to “block”: an offering block, the block of an anvil, and the stocks for a prisoner's feet, and by extension a prison.^[2][9] In texts of 1285 and 1292 the word also means a shepherd's staff, a cudgel and a carrying pole.^[9] Middle Dutch alliterated over stoc ende over stene “over stock and stone” (1360), and a text of 1437 uses stoc for a tree trunk.^[10][2] In the 17th century stock could mean a vine (1636) or, of a person, an old man or woman (1640).^[11]

From the trunk as the lasting base from which wood, leaves and fruit were taken came the sense “supply”, recorded in Middle Dutch from 1355–1436.^[2] From 1717 it also meant the stock of playing cards on the table.^[2] English has the earliest records of both senses, “supply” from 1428 and “stock of cards” from 1584, but whether Dutch took them from English is not known;^[2] stock “share capital” (1824) was certainly English.^[2] In stokoud, stokdoof and the like, stok- became an intensifier, after the model of stokstijf “as stiff as a stick”.^[12][13] Dutch passed the word to Negerhollands (stok), Berbice Dutch (stoko) and Papiamentu, where stòki names a shrub whose stems were used to whiten the teeth.^[14]

Timeline

• 1119 – Old Dutch stok appears in the place name Stocheta.^[2][4]
• 1197 – Stocdam shows the sense “post”.^[2][15]
• 1237 – Stoc “the stocks” is recorded in Ghent.^[2][9]
• c. 1240 – Stoc glosses Latin truncus “trunk”.^[9][2]
• 1285 – Stoc means a shepherd's staff and a cudgel.^[9]
• 1355–1436 – The sense “supply” is recorded.^[2]
• 1640 – Stock is used of an old person.^[11]
• 1717 – Stok “stock of playing cards” is first recorded.^[2]
• 1824 – English stock “share capital” is first recorded in Dutch.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A stalk or stem.^[16]
2. A fallen or broken-off branch.^[16]
3. A stick, rod or cane: a straight, usually round piece of wood or other material.^[16][1]
4. (card games) The stock: the cards left over after dealing, from which players may draw or buy.^[16][17][1]
5. A counterfoil, the stub of a cheque or security.^[16][17]
6. (literature) The closing line repeated at the end of every stanza of a refrein.^[16]

Adjective

1. (informal, predicative) Very old; stokoud.^[16]

Word family

• stokje
• stokken
• stokoud
• stokdoof
• stokstijf
• stokstil
• stokbrood
• stokpaard
• stokvis
• wandelstok
• wijnstok
• polsstok
• kapstok
• kerfstok
• rekstok
• strijkstok
• dirigeerstok
• duimstok
• eierstok
• halfstok
• peilstok
• toverstok

Related words

• stuk
• stuiken
• steken
• English stock

Usage notes

Alle gekheid op een stokje “joking aside” first alluded to the fool's bauble, and was a call to the fool to put his folly away.^[12] Iemand een stok tussen de benen gooien is to thwart someone's plans, and een stok achter de deur a threat that spurs one on.^[16] Van zijn stokje vallen “to faint” was originally said of a bird falling off its perch.^[18]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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 Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 369
8. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b c d e f Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ a b Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
13. ^ Pluim, T. (1911), Keur van Nederlandsche woordafleidingen, Purmerend: Muusses
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
16. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
17. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
18. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie