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Today it means

geek

an enthusiast of a specialised subject, especially computing

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Where does the word "geek" come from? It comes from Low German gek, passing through English before entering English (1910s).

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Where does the word "geek" come from? It comes from Low German gek, passing through English before entering English (1910s).

Geek’s story begins in Low German: gek meant “fool.” 'fool, madman'; Dutch gek still means 'crazy'. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in English as geck. Shakespeare's Malvolio complains of being made 'the most notorious geck and gull' in Twelfth Night (1601). It reached English by 1910s as geek. A carnival performer who bit the heads off live chickens; from the 1980s, a technology enthusiast. Today, geek means an enthusiast of a specialised subject, especially computing.

  1. Stage 1 · Low German · 1500s gek "fool", 'fool, madman'; Dutch gek still means 'crazy'.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s geck "dupe, fool", Shakespeare's Malvolio complains of being made 'the most notorious geck and gull' in Twelfth Night (1601).
  3. Stage 3 · American English · 1910s geek "sideshow freak; tech enthusiast", a carnival performer who bit the heads off live chickens; from the 1980s, a technology enthusiast.

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