duke

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*dewk-
2. Proto-Indo-European*déwkti
3. Proto-Italic*doukō
4. Latindūcō
5. Latindux, ducem
6. Old Frenchduc
7. English todayduke

From Old French duc, through Middle English duk, duke, from Latin dux, ducis. Displaced native Old English heretoga. Was present as duc in late Old English, from the same Latin source. Doublet of doge, duc, duce, and dux. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-, which is also the source of the second component in German Herzog. The “fist” sense is thought to be Cockney rhyming slang where “Duke(s) of York” = fork. Fork is itself Cockney slang for hand, and thus fist.

Words from the same roots