fork etymology

Etymology:

  • Old English "forc"
  • Middle English "forke"
  • Proto-Germanic "*furkô"
  • Proto-Indo-European "*phork-ya"

Meaning:

  • A tool with a handle and two or more prongs used for digging, lifting, or eating.
  • A place where a road or river branches into two or more paths.
  • A part of a piece of software that is maintained separately from the original codebase and may eventually be merged back into the main branch.

Origin:

The word "fork" has a long and complex history, with its origins tracing back to Proto-Indo-European. It is thought to have derived from the root "*phork-ya," which refers to a branch or fork-shaped object.

From Proto-Indo-European, "*phork-ya" entered various Germanic languages, evolving into Old English "forc." In Middle English, it became "forke," which eventually evolved into the modern English spelling "fork."

The meaning of "fork" has expanded over time, from its original sense of a tool for digging or lifting to also include its meaning as a point of division or branching in a road or path. In the area of software development, the term "fork" has been adopted to describe the creation of a separate branch of code that may or may not be merged back into the main branch at a later time.

fork relate terms

  • forked

    Etymology The word forked comes from the Middle English word forken which itself is

  • fork

    Etymology Old English forc Middle English forke Proto Germanic furkô Proto Indo

  • forkful

    Etymology The word forkful is derived from Middle English forkefull itself from Old

  • fork

    Etymology Old English forc Middle English forke Proto Germanic furkô Proto Indo

  • branch

    Etymology The word branch comes from the Old French word branche which in turn is d

  • separate

    Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their historical development Meaning

  • javelin

    Etymology The word javelin is derived from the Old French word javelot which in turn

  • tuning

    Etymology The word tune comes from the Middle English tonen which in turn comes from

  • gable

    Etymology The word gable is derived from the Old English word gavel which means the

  • prong

    Etymology The word prong is derived from the Old English word prong which is of Ger

  • bight

    Etymology Old English byht originally bend or angle of a coast Proto Germanic buh

  • body

    Etymology Old English bod Proto Germanic bodaz Proto Indo European bʰedʰ Mean

  • division

    Etymology The word division derives from the Late Latin divisus meaning separated

  • cruelty

    Etymology Old French cruelté Latin crudelitas Proto Indo European ghredh meaning