Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hrukkaz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

• *rukkaz

Kroonen considers the term to be of unknown origin, and additionally considers the reconstruction *rukkaz to be incorrect, due to the existence of forms such as Old Frisian hrock, thus rejecting the traditional derivation from Proto-Indo-European *rukn-, *ruk-, *rug-, *ruǵ- (“to spin”) and corollary connections with Proto-Germanic *rukkô (“spinning wheel, distaff”), Old Irish rucht (“tunic”), and Welsh rhuwch (“bran, husks, sieve; rough garment, cloak, mantle”).

An alternative derivation from Proto-Indo-European *kreḱ- (“to weave”) (whence Proto-Slavic *kresati (“to strike fire)”) is semantically attractive, but phonetically problematic, as the expected Germanic form would be something like *hruhaz. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

• IPA^(key): /ˈxruk.kɑz/

*hrukkaz m

1. a robe; jacket; skirt; tunic

Only forms which explicitly reflect initial h- are shown here. The remainder are at *rukkaz.

• Proto-West Germanic: *hrokk
  • Old Frisian: hrock
    • Saterland Frisian: Rok
    • West Frisian: rôk, rok
  • Old Dutch: *rokk, *rok
    • Middle Dutch: roc
      • Dutch: rok
        • Afrikaans: rok
  • → Medieval Latin: hrocus, roccus, rocus, rochus
    • → Old French: froc, rochet, roquet
      • French: froc, rochet
      • → English: frock, rochet, rocket (dialectal)
        • → French: frac
          • → Dutch: frak (dialectal)
          • → German: Frack
          • → Swedish: frack
          • → Danish: frakke
            • → Faroese: frakki
        • → Spanish: roquete
        • → Portuguese: roquete
        • → Italian: rocchetto, roccetto
  • Old High German: hroch, hrok
    • Middle High German: roc
      • German: Rock