Etymology
Two approaches have been taken to explain what is apparently the same word in
Cl (1414: 'tymbres and tabornes, tulket among') and
WA (2427: 'Þe Tebies tulked vs with tene'): (1) Skeat WA suggests emendation at
WA 2427 to
tukkyd, comparing 'tuke up' at 773, which also refers to sounding a trumpet (cp. also the n.
tuk at
DT 7107). Menner (1414n) argues, however, that <kk> is always written out distinctly in
Cl, and the fact that spellings in <lk> appear here and in both MSS of
WA makes it unlikely to be an error. (2) If the MS form is maintained, and this is considered a separate lexeme from
OED's tuck (v.2), an ON etymon has been suggested, cp. OIcel
tulka 'interpret, plead one's case, be the spokesman'. This provides a good explanation of the form and fits with the sense as in
WA, but as TPD (2552n) note, the sense does not accord well with the instance in
Cl. The ON v. is probably formed on the n. represented by OIcel
tulkr (Icel
túlkur) ‘interpreter, spokesman; broker’, which itself is probably ultimately a loan from Slavonic or Lithuanian, possibly via LG (see further
tulk (n.)).
PGmc Ancestor
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
túlka 'interpret, plead one's case, be the spokesman'
(ONP tulka (1) (vb.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
Icel tulka
OE Cognate
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
DD2