Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/spōk

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Unknown. According to Klein, from a Proto-Indo-European source shared with Latvian spīgana (“dragon, witch”), Lithuanian spingėti (“to shine”), Old Prussian spanxti (“spark”); compare *pūkô (“spook, goblin”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pāuǵ-, *(s)pāug- (“brilliance, spectre”), though the vowels make this less plausible. It could otherwise have been borrowed from a substrate language in the area where Low German/Dutch was spoken.

Noun

*spōk n

1. spook, ghost, apparition
2. witchcraft, wizardry

Descendants

• Old Frisian: spōk
  • North Frisian: Spook
• Old Saxon: *spōk
  • Middle Low German: spôk
    • German Low German: spok
      • → German: Spuk, Spökes
      • → Danish: spøge
• Old Dutch: *spōk
  • Middle Dutch: spoke, spooce
    • Dutch: spook
      • → English: spook
• Norwegian: spjok (< Middle Low German?)
• Swedish: spöke

References

• J. de Vries (1971), Nederlands Etymologisch Woordenboek, Leiden
• Klein, Dr. Ernest, A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, Amsterdam: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., 1971.