Where does “chicken” come from?

Chicken derives from Middle English chiken, from Old English cicen, from Proto-Germanic kikinaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning small or young.

chicken (English): A domestic fowl, "Gallus gallus", especially when...

Definitions

  1. A domestic fowl, "Gallus gallus", especially when...

Ancestry of “chicken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishchikenchicken", also "chick
2Old Englishċicenchicken

Words derived from “chicken”

Every word from Old English ċicen →Every word from Middle English chiken →
chicken — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer