English
fork
Fork comes from Middle English forke ‘digging fork’, from Old English force ‘forked instrument used to torture’, and ultimately from Latin furca.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfurca‘pitchfork, forked stake’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furkōreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150force‘forked instrument used to torture’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forke‘digging fork’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1680fork
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfurca‘pitchfork, forked stake’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furkōreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150force‘forked instrument used to torture’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forke‘digging fork’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1680fork
Earliest quotation: a. 1680, Samuel Butler: “They had run through all punishments, and just 'scaped…”
The story
The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. 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’).
Linked words
through Latin furca ‘pitchfork, forked stake’
Today it means
noun Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows: A utensil with spikes used to put solid food into the mouth, or to hold food down while cutting, or for serving food.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin furca / fork