Etymology
1. O.E.
prica (n.) "point, puncture, particle;"
prician (v.) "to prick," from W.Gmc.
*prikojanan (cf. Low Ger.
pricken, Du.
prikken "to prick"); Dan.
prikke "to mark with dots," Swed.
pricka "to point, prick, mark with dots" are probably from Low German. Meaning "pointed weapon, dagger" is first attested 1552. Earliest recorded use for "penis" is 1592.
My prick was used 16c.-17c. as a term of endearment by "immodest maids" for their boyfriends. As a term of abuse, it is attested from 1929. To
prick up one's ears is 1587, originally of animals with pointed ears (
prycke-eared, of foxes, is from 1523). To
kick against the pricks (Acts ix.5, first in a translation of 1382) is probably from sense of "a goad for oxen" (c.1350).
2. From Middle English prikken, from Old English prician, priccan (“to prick”), from Proto-Germanic *prikōną, *prikjaną (“to pierce, prick”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *breyǵ- (“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”). Cognate with dialectal English pritch, Dutch prikken (“to prick, sting”), Middle High German pfrecken (“to prick”), Swedish pricka (“to dot, prick”), and possibly to Lithuanian įbrėžti (“to scrape, scratch, carve, inscribe, strike”). See: Middle English '
prikken', Old English '
prician', English '
pritch', Dutch '
prikken', Middle High German '
pfrecken', Swedish '
pricka', Lithuanian '
įbrėžti'.
Verbs referencing "prick"
Dutch
pikken, Scots Gaelic
briog, Irish
prioc.