An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/sticken

by Friedrich Kluge

sticken, verb, ‘to stitch, embroider,’ from Middle High German sticken, Old High German sticchen (from Teutonic *stikjan), weak verb, ‘to pierce, thrust, stitch, embroider.’ Originally a variant of stikan, ‘to pierce,’ from the root stik (see stechen, Stich); compare English to stitch, from Anglo-Saxon *sticcan, Dutch stikken. — To this ersticken, ‘to choke, suffocate,’ from the equivalent Middle High German ersticken, Old High German irsticchen, is allied.