stock

stock · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)teyg-
2. Proto-Germanic*stikaną
3. Proto-Germanic*stukkaz
4. Proto-West Germanic*stokk
5. Old Englishstocc
6. Middle Englishstok
7. English todaystock

From Middle English stok, from Old English stocc, from Proto-West Germanic *stokk, from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz (“tree-trunk”). Modern senses are mostly referring either to the trunk from which the tree grows (figuratively, its origin and/or support/foundation), or to a piece of wood, stick, or rod. The senses of "supply" and "raw material" arose from a probable conflation with steck (“an item of goods, merchandise”) or the use of split tally sticks consisting of foil or counterfoil and stock to capture paid taxes, debts or exchanges. Doublet of chock.

stock · noun²

1. Italian · derived fromstoccata
2. English todaystock

From Italian stoccata.

Stock · proper noun³

* As an English surname, from the noun stock (“stock, tree stump”). This sense is also found respectively in Dutch and German, and Slavic borrowings of them. Compare Stocker. * Also as an English surname, variant of Stoker. * (Stockton): Clipping of Stockton.

Words from the same roots