fork

fork · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*perg-“pole, post”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*furkaz
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰerk(ʷ)-
4. Old Northern French · derived fromforque
5. Latin · derived fromfurca“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”
6. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*furkō“fork”
7. Old English · inherited fromforce
8. Middle English · inherited fromforke“digging fork”
9. English todayfork

From Middle English forke (“digging fork”), from Old English force, forca (“forked instrument used to torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *furkō (“fork”), from Latin furca (“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”), of uncertain origin. The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. Doublet of fourche and furcate. Cognate also with North Frisian forck (“fork”), Dutch vork (“fork”), Danish fork (“fork”), German Forke (“pitchfork”). Displaced native gafol, ġeafel, ġeafle (“fork”), from Old English. In its primary sense of “fork”, Latin furca appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerk(ʷ)-, *ǵʰerg(ʷ)- (“fork”), although the development of the -c- is difficult to explain. In other senses this derivation is unlikely. For these, perhaps it is connected to Proto-Germanic *furkaz, *firkalaz (“stake, stick, pole, post”), from Proto-Indo-European *perg- (“pole, post”). If so, this would relate the word to Old English forclas pl (“bolt”), Old Saxon ferkal (“lock, bolt, bar”), Old Norse forkr (“pole, staff, stick”), Norwegian fork (“stick, bat”), Swedish fork (“pole”).

fork · noun, verb²

Ultimately from Etymology 1, above, through use for various things with two or more branches. Attested in this sense from the 18th century.

Words from the same roots