An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hake

by Friedrich Kluge

Hake, Hahen, m., ‘hook, clasp,’ from MidHG. hâke, hâken, m., OHG. hâko, hâcko, m., ‘hook.’ The HG. k can neither be Goth. k nor Goth. g; the former would be changed into ch, the latter would remain unchanged. The variants OHG. hâgo, hâggo, MidHG. hâgge, point to Goth. *hêgga, n., ‘hook’ (comp. Raupe, Schuppe). Curiously, however, the corresponding words of the cognate dialects have k and are graded: AS. hôc, m., ‘hook,’ E. hook, MidDu. hoek, ‘hook’; comp. also Du. haak, AS. hăca, OIc. hăke, m., ‘hook.’ The relations of the gutturals (especially of the gg) are still obscure; comp. also Kluppe, Schuppe, Kautz, Schnauze. A typical form is wanting. It it is impossible to connect the word hangen, Goth. hâhan (for hanhan); it ia more probably related to Hechel and Hecht.