Where does “funk” come from?

Funk derives from Middle English funke, from Old English funca, from Proto-Germanic funkô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)peng-, which also produced Latin fumus from Proto-Indo-European dʰuh₂mós meaning smoke.

funk (English): Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor; A...

Definitions

  1. Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor; A...

Ancestry of “funk”, step by step

funk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French funquer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchfunquer—
2Vulgar Latinfumicare—
3Latinfūmigāre—
4Latinfūmussmoke, steam, fume
5Proto-Italicfūmossmoke
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰuh₂móssmoke
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via Middle English funke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfunkespark
2Old Englishfuncaspark
3Proto-West Germanic*funkōspark
4Proto-Germanicfunkôspark
5Proto-Indo-European(s)peng-to shine

Words derived from “funk”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →