Pawk
/pɔːk/noun
A Scots word meaning a trick, stratagem, or piece of cunning.
Did you know?Pawk is associated with the same old Germanic supernatural vocabulary that produced “puck,” originally a mischievous goblin or spirit rather than a hockey object.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*pūkan-
“A supernatural being or mischievous spirit; the reconstructed source is uncertain.”
Old English
Old English
pūca
“A goblin, demon, or malicious spirit.”
Middle English
Middle English
pouke
“A goblin or devil; a supernatural troublemaker.”
Late Middle English
Scots
pauk
“A goblin or mischievous being, later associated with cunning.”
Modern Scots
Scots
pawk
“A trick, stratagem, or act of sly deception.”