An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bicke

by Friedrich Kluge

Bicke, feminine, Bickel, masculine, ‘pickaxe,’ from the equivalent Middle High German bicke, bickel, masculine; compare Middle High German bicken, Old High German (ana)bicchan, weak verb, ‘to prick, thrust’; allied to Anglo-Saxon becca, English bick-iron. It is probably connected further with a Keltic-Romance class (Italian becco, French bec, Dutch bek, ‘beak,’ French bêche, ‘spade,’ Italian beccare, ‘to hack,’ &c.); it is possible that Anglo-Saxon becca, ‘pickaxe,’ is allied to Irish and Gaelic bacc, ‘hook.’ Beil seems to come from another stem.