Etymograph

English

reek

Reek comes from Middle English rek ‘smoke’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *rowgi-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*rowgi-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*raukiz‘smoke, vapour’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rauki‘smoke’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rēc‘smoke’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rek‘smoke’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1597reek

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*rowgi-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*raukiz‘smoke, vapour’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rauki‘smoke’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rēc‘smoke’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rek‘smoke’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1597reek

Earliest quotation: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wiues of Windsor: “Thou mightst as well say, I loue to walke…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi-

Another origin of reek

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*rougi-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*reukaną‘to smoke, to give off a vapour’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*reukan‘to smoke, give off smoke’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rēocan‘to smoke’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reken‘to smoke’
  6. Englishtodayreek

Another origin of reek

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hraukaz‘pile (of stones)’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150hrēac‘stack, stook, rick’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reke‘heap, pile’
  4. Englishtodayreek

Today it means

noun A strong unpleasant smell.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *rowgi- / reek

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