An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Marke

by Friedrich Kluge

Marke, f., ‘mark, token’; from MidHG. marc (gen. markes), n., ‘sign’; comp. Du. marke, ‘mark, characteristic’; AS. mearc, n., E. mark, OIc. mark, n., ‘sign’; Goth. *mark is wanting. Whether these cognates are connected with those of Mark (1), ‘frontier, marches,’ lit. ‘border,’ is uncertain; the meaning ‘frontier,’ which was proved by the allied languages to be primitive, can scarcely be the starting point for ‘sign’; the contrary is the more probable. It has with greater reason been compared with Lith. márgas, ‘variegated.’ Comp. merken. From Teut. a Rom. class is derived; comp. Fr. marque, remarquer, &c.