Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Peacock” come from?

Peacock (English) comes from Middle English pecok, from Old English pāwa, from Proto-Germanic pāwô, from Latin pāvō, from Ancient Greek ταώς — peacock; type of fish.

Ancestry of “Peacock”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishpecokThe peacock or its meat
2Old Englishpāwapeacock
3Proto-Germanicpāwôpeacock, peafowl
4Latinpāvō—
5Ancient Greekταώςpeacock; type of fish

Words derived from “Peacock”

  • Pocock
  • Peacockian
Every word from Ancient Greek ταώς →