Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “birdcatcher” come from?

birdcatcher (English) comes from English catcher, from English catch, from Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, from Vulgar Latin coacticare, from Latin coactō, from Latin coactus, from Latin cōgō — whale, sea monster; abyss.

birdcatcher (English): Someone who catches or ensnares birds, fowler

Definitions

  1. Someone who catches or ensnares birds, fowler

Ancestry of “birdcatcher”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcatcherSomeone or something that catches; The player...
2EnglishcatchThe act of seizing or capturing; The act of...
3Middle Englishcacchento catch
4Anglo-Normancachierto hide; Alternative form of chacier
5Vulgar Latincoacticarepresent active infinitive of *coacticō
6Latincoactō—
7Latincoactusforced, compelled, having been forced; urged,...
8Latincōgō—
9Latincōn-—
10Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
11Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
12Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
14Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
15Middle Englishkyt—
16Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
17Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
18Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →