Where does “poke” come from?
Poke comes from Middle Dutch poken, from Anglo-Norman poke, from Frankish puku, from Proto-Germanic pukô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew-.
poke (English): To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or...
Definitions
- To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or...
Ancestry of “poke”, step by step
poke traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English poke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | poke | sack, pouch, bag |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | poke | sack |
| 3 | Frankish | *pokō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *puhô | bag |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bew- | "low-pitch humming noise" |
via Hawaiian poke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaiian | poke | slice crossways |
via Powhatan pocan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Powhatan | pocan | — |