Where does “cockweasel” come from?
cockweasel (English) comes from English cock, from Middle English cok, from Old English cōc, from Vulgar Latin cocus, from Latin coquus, from Latin coquō, from English Cook, from German kochen.
Ancestry of “cockweasel”, step by step
cockweasel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cock
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cock | A male bird, "especially:"; A valve or tap for... |
| 2 | Middle English | cok | rooster, cock; rooster crest, comb; heraldic... |
| 3 | Old English | cōc | a cook |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | cocus | — |
| 5 | Latin | coquus | A cook; person who makes food |
| 6 | Latin | coquō | to cook; prepare food |
| 7 | English | Cook | A placename |
| 8 | German | kochen | to cook, to prepare food; to boil; to be stirred... |
| 9 | Middle High German | kochen | to cook |
| 10 | Old High German | kohhōn | to cook |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | kukōną | to cook |
| 12 | Latin | coquere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 13 | Proto-Italic | kʷekʷō | to cook |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | pékʷeti | to be cooking; to ripen |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pekʷ- | to cook; to ripen |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃-ép-kʷ- | — |
via English weasel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | weasel | The least weasel, "Mustela nivalis"; Any of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | wesele | weasel, polecat; A meal made of a pig or a capon... |
| 3 | Old English | weosule | weasel |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wisulā | weasel |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wisulǭ | weasel |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wisō- | European polecat, "Mustela putorius" |