Where does “polk” come from?
polk (Middle English) comes from Middle English pol, from Old English pōl, from Proto-West Germanic *pōl, from Proto-Germanic pōlaz, from Proto-Indo-European bale-, from Yoruba ilé — home; house.
Ancestry of “polk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pol | — |
| 2 | Old English | pōl | pool |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *pōl | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | pōlaz | pool |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bale- | bog, marsh |
| 6 | Yoruba | ilé | home; house |