Where does “covey” come from?
Covey comes from Middle French covee, from Latin covea, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots related to covering or hollowing, with the suffix -ia denoting a collection or group.
covey (English): A group of 8–12 quail; A brood of partridges,...
Definitions
- A group of 8–12 quail; A brood of partridges,...
Ancestry of “covey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cove | A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern; A concave... |
| 2 | French | couver | to brood; to mollycoddle |
| 3 | Old French | cover | to brood |
| 4 | Latin | cubāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | cubō | to lie down, recline |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kubāō | to lie down |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewb- | briar, thorn |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱew- | skin, colour of the skin; to shine; bright; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷṓws | cattle |