nookie

[Peter Richardson]

> >Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU> writes:
> >
> > >>>>>
> >Oh dear--we used to pronounce the name of the German-made pacifier our son
> >used (a Nuk) as [nUk].  I wonder where the brand name came from, and if
> >other users were as naive as we were?

We did too, as did others who had babies in Germany. It's from _nuckeln_
'suck slowly,' perhaps connected with _suckle_, which German has in
_suckeln_, belonging to _saugen_ 'suck.' Pons (Wb. d.dt. Ugs.) notes that
_Nuckel_ is also the breast of a breast-feeding mother and says it (the
word, not the breast) has been in use since ca. 1700. I don't have Grimm
Dt. Wb. at hand, but could check on that if you like.

Peter R.