An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Rocken

by Friedrich Kluge

Rocken, m., ‘distaff,’ from the equiv. MidHG. rocke, OHG. roccho, m.; common to Teut. in the same sense; comp. Du. rok, rocken, AS. *rocca, MidE. rocke, E. rock, OIc. rokkr; Goth. *rukka is by chance not recorded. The Teut. word passed into Rom.; comp. Ital. rocca, ‘distaff.’ It may be doubted whether Recken and Rock are derived from an old root rak, ‘to spin,’ which does not occur elsewhere. At any rate, Rocken is not connected with the equiv. LG. wocken, since the cognates of Rocken, according to the LG. and E. terms, have not lost an initial w.