Where does “poker” come from?
Poker comes from English poke, derived from Middle Dutch poken, from French poque, with ultimate roots in Latin -arius and -os formations via Proto-Italic -os.
poker (English): A metal rod, generally of wrought iron, for...
Definitions
- A metal rod, generally of wrought iron, for...
Ancestry of “poker”, step by step
poker traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English poke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poke | To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or... |
| 2 | Middle English | poke | sack, pouch, bag |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | poke | sack |
| 4 | Frankish | *pokō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *puhô | bag |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bew- | "low-pitch humming noise" |
via German Pochspiel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Pochspiel | — |
| 2 | German | pochen | to thump, to throb; to insist |
| 3 | Middle High German | bochen | to slap, strike |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | puk- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bu- | lip; to make a dull sound; to make a dull, hollow... |
via French poque
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | poque | first-person singular present indicative of... |