Where does “cage bird” come from?
cage bird (English) comes from English Cage, from Middle English cage, from Old French cage, from Latin cavea, from Latin cavus, from Proto-Italic kawos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱowh₁ós, from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- — to swell; to be strong.
cage bird (English): A bird, such as a canary or budgerigar, kept captive in a cage or aviary for domestic companionship or as a hobby
Definitions
- A bird, such as a canary or budgerigar, kept captive in a cage or aviary for domestic companionship or as a hobby
Ancestry of “cage bird”, step by step
cage bird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Cage
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Cage | An enclosure made of spaced bars, normally to hold animals while providing some ventilation |
| 2 | Middle English | cage | A cage or pen; A cell, enclosure or room of... |
| 3 | Old French | cage | — |
| 4 | Latin | cavea | hollow, cavity; cage, den, enclosure, stall,... |
| 5 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |