'achoke' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'achoken,' where 'a-' was an intensifier and 'choken' meant 'to choke.'

'achoken' transformed into the modern English word 'achoke' through gradual phonetic simplification.

Initially, it meant 'to choke intensely,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to choke or suffocate slightly.'