Cognate Set 2348 – Meaning: neck

IE-CoR reference form:
*hnekkan-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Germanic
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Proposed as cognate to:
kñuk [Tocharian A] scale: 3
Justification:
Lexemes continuing Proto-Germanic *hnekkan- ~ *hnakka(n)- 'neck', perhaps further comparable with Tocharian A kñuk 'neck' although there is some uncertainty the formal aspects of this proposed etymology. For further discussion cf. Kluge 2011:646, Kroonen 2011:167-169, Kroonen 2013:234, van Windekens 1976:225-226, Hilmarsson 1996:162-163.
Found in clades:
Germanic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 4 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
116   Dutch nek nɛk
112   English neck nɛk Middle English nekke, Old English hnecca
105   Norwegian: Bokmål nakke ˈnɑ̀kːə ˈnɑ̀kːɛ
106   Norwegian: Nynorsk nakke ˈnɑkːə ˈnɑkːɛ
References
  • Hilmarsson, Jörundur: 162-163
    Cf. s.v. TochA kñuk 'neck'. Two early propsals to either OIc. knjúkr 'round mountain summit', MHG knock 'neck' < *gneugo- (van Windekens 1941: 42), or to IE *kneugo-, cf. OIc. hnjúkr 'rounded mountain summit' (Duchesne-Guillemin 1941: 157) are semantically satisfactory. Pedersen's (1944: 29) connection to OE hnekka- 'neck', OIc. hnakki 'id.' is semantically more satisfactory but there is no evidence in Germanic for a *-kw-. "This proposal might therefore be rejected as well. Instead the following might be considered. Assuming A kñuk, through *kñäkw, reflects CT *kñäkwæ, this word may go back to IE *knigʷʰo- 'neck (lit. 'the one that bows or bends')' to the root *kneigʷʰ- 'to bow', cf. Goth. hneiwan 'to bow', OHG hnīgan 'to bow, bend', OIcel. hníga 'to sink down', hneigja 'to bow' etc."
  • Kluge, Friedrich: 646
    S.v. NHG Nacken (MHG nac (nackes), nacke, OHG nac, nacko 'Hinterhaupt, Nacken', from Gmc. *hnakka-/ōn 'Hinterhaupt, Nacken' also in ON hnakkr, hnakki and with Ablaut in MLG necke, nec, OFr. hnekka, OE hnecca. Outside of Germanic with differing vocalism cf. OIr. cnocc, MW cnwch 'Buckel, Hügel', TochA kñuk 'Hals, Nacken'. Further origins unclear.
  • Kroonen, Guus: 234
    S.v. Proto-Germanic *hnekkan- ~ *hnakka(n)- 'neck'. "In view of the close formal and semantic similarities to To. kñuk, it seems possible to reconstruct a PIE n-stem *knék-ōn, gen. kn̥k-n-ós, acc. *knok-n-ń̥s (cf. [Kroonen 2011](src-656):167ff.). The regular outcome of this paradigm, viz. *hnehō, *hunkkaz, *hnakkuns was apparently remodelled into *hnekkō, *knukkaz, *hnakkuns. […] [I]t is possible that G Hunke 'hillock' is a vestige of the original genitive form. It is therefore likely that OIr. cnoc, W cnwch m. 'hill' was borrowed from Germanic rather than the other way around."
  • Kroonen, Guus: 167ff.
  • van Windekens, A. J.: 225-226
    Cf. s.v. TochA kñuk 'cou, nuque' For this term we may connect either IE *gneug- with OIc. knjūkr 'cime d'une montagne', MHG knock 'nuque' or with IE *qnequ̯- with OE hnecca, OIc. hnakki 'nuque', or with IE *qneug- with OIc. hnūka 'se tenir accroupi, s'accroupir', Mod. Ic. knjūkr 'cime de montagne ronde', etc.For these three interpretations cf. Van Windekens, Orbis 11 (1962) 506. In any of these cases TochA kñuk may have a common etymon with Germanic.