Where does “cowpoke” come from?

cowpoke (English) comes from English poke, from Middle English poke, from Anglo-Norman poke, from Frankish *pokō, from Proto-Germanic *puhô, from Proto-Indo-European bew- — "low-pitch humming noise".

cowpoke (English): A cowhand; A 19th-century device used around the...

Definitions

  1. A cowhand; A 19th-century device used around the...

Ancestry of “cowpoke”, step by step

cowpoke traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English poke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpokeTo prod or jab with an object such as a finger or...
2Middle Englishpokesack, pouch, bag
3Anglo-Normanpokesack
4Frankish*pokō—
5Proto-Germanic*puhôbag
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbew-"low-pitch humming noise"

via English cow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcowAn adult female of the species "Bos taurus",...
2Middle EnglishcowAlternative form of cou
3Old Englishcūcow
4Proto-West Germanic*kōcow
5Proto-Germanic*kōzcow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bew- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *puhô →Every word from Frankish *pokō →
cowpoke — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer