Where does “spøk” come from?
spøk (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Middle Low German spȫken, from Middle English spok, from Dutch spook, from Middle Dutch spooc, from Middle Dutch spoke, from Proto-Germanic spōk — spook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry.
spøk (Norwegian Nynorsk): joke
Definitions
- joke
Ancestry of “spøk”, step by step
spøk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German spȫken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | spȫken | — |
| 2 | Middle English | spok | Alternative form of spoke |
| 3 | Dutch | spook | phantom, ghost; horror, terror; an annoying and... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | spooc | apparition, ghost; spook, ghost |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | spoke | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | spōk | spook, ghost, apparition; witchcraft, wizardry |
via Low German spoken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low German | spoken | — |