An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Storch

by Friedrich Kluge

Storch, m., ‘stork,’ from the equiv. MidHG. storch (variant storc, whence Stork, common to UpG. and West Thuring.); OHG. storah (hh), also storc, m.; comp. AS. storc, E. stork, and the equiv. OIc. storkr. Its prehistoric connection with Gr. τόργος, ‘vulture,’ is dubious. On the other band, the Slav. cognates, OSlov. stĭrkŭ, Russ. sterchŭ, ‘stork,’ must have been borrowed from OTeut.