An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hecke

by Friedrich Kluge

Hecke (1.), f., ‘hedge,’ from MidHG. hęcke, f., OHG. hęcka, hęgga, f., ‘hedge,’ the latter from hagjô-, whence also AS. heęg, f., MidE. hegge, E. hedge; AS. also hege, m., ‘hedge' (comp. E. haybote, ‘an allowance of wood for repairing fences'). Of the same origin as the cognates mentioned under Hag.

Hecke (2.). f., ‘the act of breeding,’ ModHG. simply, probably neither identical nor even cognate with Hecke (1), ‘hedge,’ because E. hedge, ‘Hecke (1),’ and hatch, ‘Hecke (2).’ are totally distinct; the former is MidE. hegge (AS. hęcg, f. ’), the latter MidE. hacche (AS. *hœcce?); E. hatch, ‘brood, incubation.’ MidHG. has a wk. vb., hęcken, ‘to propagate’ (of birds), MidE. hacchen, E. to hatch; OHG. hęgidruosa, MidHG. hęgedruose, f., ‘testicle,’ may be cognate (g in AS. hagan, ‘gignalia,’ in comparison with the earlier kk in MidE. hacche, is conceivable), and hence too MidHG. hagen, m., ‘bull kept for breeding,’ earlier ModHG. Hacksch, ‘boar kept for breeding.’ The cognates seem to indicate a Teut. root hag, hakk, ‘to propagate.’