Oak
/oʊk/noun
A large tree of the beech family with lobed leaves and acorns, valued for its hard wood.
Did you know?In many Indo-European cultures, oaks were treated as sacred trees associated with thunder gods, which helped make them symbols of power, law, and divine authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eyg-
“A possible ancient root meaning related to oak or tree names, reconstructed with uncertainty.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aiks
“Oak tree.”
Old English
English
āc
“Oak tree.”
Middle English
English
ook / oak
“Oak tree.”
Modern English
English
oak
“A large deciduous tree of the genus Quercus.”