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pouch

POWCH · noun

Proto-GermanicFrankishOld FrenchOld Northern FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Origin

English pouch comes from Middle English pouche or poche, borrowed from Old Northern French pouche (Old French poche, puche). That in turn traces to Frankish *poka, a Germanic word for a pouch or bag, related to Middle Dutch poke and Old English pohha.

Journey

The word passed from a Germanic root through Frankish into Old French, then crossed into English via the Norman French dialect spoken after the Conquest, keeping essentially the same meaning of a small bag the whole way.

Related words

Pouch is a doublet of poke, since both descend from the same Old French poche/puche pairing; it's also related to pocket.

More words

From Old Northern French

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