Where does “fork” come from?

Fork derives from Old English force, from Proto-West Germanic furkō, from Latin furca, meaning a pronged implement for holding or pitching.

fork (English): A pronged tool having a long straight handle,...

Definitions

  1. A pronged tool having a long straight handle,...

Ancestry of “fork”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishforkeA fork or graip; A fork-shaped fire iron; A...
2Old Englishforce(found in compounds)
3Proto-West Germanicfurkōfork
4LatinfurcaA two-pronged fork, pitchfork; A fork-shaped...

Words derived from “fork

Every word from Latin furca
fork — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer