Etymology
1. c.1440, from M.Fr.
mocquer "deride, jeer," from O.Fr., perhaps from V.L.
*muccare "to blow the nose" (as a derisive gesture), from L.
mucus; or possibly from M.Du.
mocken "to mumble" or M.L.G.
mucken "grumble." Replaced O.E.
bysmerian. Sense of "imitating," as in
mocking-bird (1676) and
mock turtle (1763), is from notion of derisive imitation. The adj. is 1548, from the noun.
Mockery is attested from 1426.
Mock-up "model, simulation" is from 1920.
2. From Middle English mokken, from Old French mocquer, moquier (“to deride, jeer”), from Middle Dutch mocken (“to mumble”) or Middle Low German mucken (“to grumble, talk with the mouth half-opened”), both from Proto-West Germanic *mokkijan, *mukkijan (“to low, bellow; mumble”), from Proto-Germanic *mukkijaną, *mūhaną (“to low, bellow, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *mūg-, *mūk- (“to low, mumble”).
3. Cognate with Dutch mokken (“to sulk; pout; mope; grumble”), Old High German firmucken (“to be stupid”), Modern German mucksen (“to utter a word; mumble; grumble”), West Frisian mokke (“to mope; sulk; grumble”), Swedish mucka (“to murmur”), dialectal Dutch mokkel (“kiss”). See: Dutch '
mokken', German, old spelling '
mucksen', Swedish '
mucka'.
Verbs referencing "mock"
Finnish with old forms
mokata.