An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Pocke

by Friedrich Kluge

Pocke, f., ‘pock,’ properly a LG. word, unknown in this form to MidHG. and OHG.; comp. the equiv. Du. pok, for which we should have expected Pfoche in HG., and in fact the dials. preserve this form. Allied to AS. pocc, E. pock. The cognates seem to be based on a Teut. root puh, ‘to swell,’ which appears also in AS. pohha, poca, E. poke and pocket.