Etymology
1. O.E.
hnecca "neck, back of the neck" (a fairly rare word) from P.Gmc.
*khnekkon "the nape of the neck" (cf. O.Fris.
hnekka, M.Du.
necke, O.N.
hnakkr, O.H.G.
hnach, Ger.
Nacken "neck"), with no certain cognates outside Gmc., though some suggest PIE
*knok- "high point, ridge" (cf. O.Ir.
cnocc, Welsh
cnwch, O.Bret.
cnoch "hill"). The more usual O.E. words were
hals (the general Gmc. word, cf. Goth., O.N., Dan., Swed., Du., Ger.
hals), cognate with L.
collum (see collar); and
swira, probably also from a PIE root meaning "column" (cf. Skt.
svaru- "post"). The verb meaning "to kiss, embrace, caress" is first recorded 1825 (implied in
necking) in northern England dial., from the noun.
Neckerchief is 1382, from kerchief (q.v.). Phrase
neck of the woods (Amer.Eng.) is attested from 1780 in the sense of "narrow stretch of woods;" 1839 with meaning "settlement in a wooded region."
Neckline of a garment is from 1904. To
stick one's neck out "take a risk" is first recorded 1926, Amer.Eng. Horses running
neck and neck is attested from 1799.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Germanic *hnakkô
4. Proto-West Germanic *hnakkō
5. Old English hnecca
6. Middle English nekke
7. English neck
8. From Middle English nekke, nakke, from Old English hnecca, *hnæcca (“neck, nape”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnakkō, from Proto-Germanic *hnakkô (“nape, neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *knog-, *kneg- (“back of the head, nape, neck”).
9. Cognate with Scots nek (“neck”), North Frisian neek, neeke, Nak (“neck”), Saterland Frisian Näkke (“neck”), West Frisian nekke (“neck”), Dutch nek (“neck”), German Low German Nack (“neck”), German Nacken (“nape of the neck”), Danish nakke (“neck”), Swedish nacke (“nape of the neck”), Icelandic hnakki (“neck”), Tocharian A kñuk (“neck, nape”). Possibly a mutated variant of *kneug/k (compare Old English hnocc (“hook, penis”), Welsh cnwch (“joint, knob”), Latvian knaūķis (“dwarf”). Doublet of nek. More at nook. Displaced halse (“neck, throat”) and swire (“neck”). See: Frisian, Saterlandic 'Näkke', German, old spelling '
Nacken', Danish '
nakke', Swedish '
nacke'.
Verbs referencing "neck"
Danish
nakke.