An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Markolf

by Friedrich Kluge

Markolf, masculine, ‘jay,’ first occurs in early Modern High German; it has passed from the fables of animals into general use; liter. Mark-wolf, ‘boundary wolf,’ used in the Old High German period as a proper name (Marcolf). Similarly in Reineke Vos, Marquart is the name of the jay, formed from the Old High German proper name Marcwart, literally ‘frontier guardian.’