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What is the origin of the word 'duck'?

Question #93200. Asked by kartguy5.
Last updated Jun 02 2021.

Related Trivia Topics: World   Linguistics   Vocabulary  
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BRY2K
Answer has 8 votes
BRY2K
17 year member
3707 replies avatar

Answer has 8 votes.
The word duck (from Anglo-Saxon d¨±ce), meaning the bird, came from the verb "to duck" (from Anglo-Saxon supposed *d¨±can) meaning "to bend down low as if to get under something" or "to dive", because of the way many species in the dabbling duck group feed by upending (compare Dutch duiken, German tauchen = "to dive").

This happened because the older Anglo-Saxon words ened (= "duck") and ende (= "end") came to be pronounced the same: other Germanic languages still have similar words for "duck" and "end": for example, Dutch eend = "duck", eind = "end", German ente = "duck", ende = "end"; this similarity goes back to Indo-European: compare Latin anas (stem anat-) = "duck", Lithuanian antis = "duck", Ancient Greek ¦Í¦Ç¦Ò¦Ò¦Á, ¦Í¦Ç¦Ó¦Ó¦Á (n¨¥ssa, n¨¥tta) = "duck"; Sanskrit anta = "end".

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck

Mar 05 2008, 5:35 PM
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Soozy_Woozy star
Answer has 9 votes
Currently Best Answer
Soozy_Woozy star
18 year member
24 replies avatar

Answer has 9 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
The word duck originates from the Saxon word 'ducas' which was meant as a term of respect: similar to the middle English 'duc', 'duk' which denotes a leader, commander: from which comes the title 'Duke' and the Old French word 'duchee' - the territory ruled by a Duke.

link http://www.thepotteries.org/dialect_qa.html

Mar 06 2008, 3:40 AM
author
Answer has 6 votes
author
23 year member
2834 replies

Answer has 6 votes.
We are talking about several different meanings here which should not be confused. There is the bird "duck" and the verb "duck". Then there is this one, "duck" as a dialectal greeting:

Quote:
Where does 'duck' come from?

Firstly the word “duck” (a term of greeting, for man or woman) has nothing at all to do with the winged bird of the same name.

It is said to find its origin in the Saxon word ‘ducas’ which was meant as a term of respect; similar to the Middle English ‘duc’, ‘duk’ which denotes a leader, commander; from which comes the title ‘Duke’ and the Old French word ‘ducheé’ - the territory ruled by a Duke.

From these origins it became a greeting and then a term of endearment.

link https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/people-nottinghamshire-call-each-duck-2901723

Response last updated by satguru on Jun 02 2021.
Mar 06 2008, 5:59 AM
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