Pflock

German

Etymology

From Middle High German pfloc (late 14th century). Related with Middle Low German plügge (1375, or plugge), also pluck, plock (ca. 1420), Dutch plug (1511 as plugghe, also plogge), all “peg, wooden nail, pin, plug”. Further origin uncertain. The word shows semantic relations with a nominal derivative of Proto-Germanic *plukkijaną (“to pluck”, phlucke, phlocke, pluck, plok), and at least in High German also with the descendant of *blukką (“block”). However, these relations are in all likelihood secondary. Within High German, the word appears to have been restricted chiefly to the north-east (East Central German and surroundings); therefore it has been argued to be a Low German borrowing in the colonial regions, but the late attestations in all languages make it hard to prove this. English plug and similar Scandinavian forms are usually considered borrowings.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pflɔk/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /flɔk/ (northern and central Germany)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: Vlog, flock

Noun

Pflock m (strong, genitive Pflockes or Pflocks, plural Pflöcke)

1. stake or wooden peg used to fasten something

   Synonym: Pfahl

Declension

Declension of Pflock [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Pflock	die	Pflöcke
genitive	eines	des	Pflockes, Pflocks	der	Pflöcke
dative	einem	dem	Pflock, Pflocke1	den	Pflöcken
accusative	einen	den	Pflock	die	Pflöcke

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Zeltpflock

Further reading

• “Pflock” in Duden online
• “Pflock” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache