An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/stinken

by Friedrich Kluge

stinken, vb., ‘to stink,’ from MidHG. stinken, OHG. stinchan. In OHG. and early MidHG. the verb signifies ‘to emit a smell,’ and may even mean ‘to give forth a fragrant odour’; in MidHG. the modern meaning prevails. In AS. too, stincan may mean ‘to emit a fragrant odour’ or ‘to stink’; comp. E. to stink. This West Teut. meaning, ‘to emit a (pleasant or unpleasant) smell’ (and also ‘to perceive by smell, to scent’), can scarcely be reconciled with Goth. stigqan, ‘to push,’ and Scand. støkkva, ‘to leap, squirt, hasten.’ It is probably more closely connected with Gr. ταγγός, ‘rancid’ (comp. Gr. ταῦρος, equiv. to Goth. stiur).