Etymograph

English

pocket

Pocket comes from Anglo-Norman poket, a diminutive of poke ‘bag’, from Frankish *pokō ‘pouch’, from Proto-Germanic *puhô ‘bag’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*puhô‘bag; pouch’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*pokō‘pouch’reconstructed
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400poket
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pocket‘bag, sack’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1597same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*puhô‘bag; pouch’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*pokō‘pouch’reconstructed
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400poket
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pocket‘bag, sack’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1597same form

Earliest quotation: 1597, Don Richardo de Medico Campo pseudonym; , The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman: “But, Tom, thy ſelfe art paſt grace; for ſome…”

Formed from poke + -et

Middle English poken ‘to poke’

English poke

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bew- ‘to blow, swell’

bill, pick, bowl, purse, pose, bulletin, buckle, pique, bouillon, pout, picot, bulla, piqué, 18 more

through Proto-Germanic *puhô ‘bag’

push, 4 more

through Frankish *pokō ‘pouch’

pouch, 1 more

Today it means

noun A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *puhô / pocket

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