An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Docke

by Friedrich Kluge

Docke, singular, ‘doll,’ from Middle High German tocke, feminine, ‘doll,’ also ‘young girl,’ Old High German toccha, ‘doll.’ The word is not sound in the oldest periods of the other dialects, nor can the Modern High German meanings, ‘skein, yarn,’ be authenticated from Middle High German, Old High German, and the early stages of cognate languages; yet there is no reason to doubt the real Teutonic origin of the word.