An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/sticken

by Friedrich Kluge

sticken, vb., ‘to stitch, embroider,’ from MidHG. sticken, OHG. sticchen (from Teut. *stikjan), wk. vb., ‘to pierce, thrust, stitch, embroider.’ Originally a variant of stikan, ‘to pierce,’ from the root stik (see stechen, Stich); comp. E. to stitch, from AS. *sticcan, Du. stikken. — To this ersticken, ‘to choke, suffocate,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ersticken, OHG. irsticchen, is allied.