Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cuckooshrike” come from?

cuckooshrike (English) comes from English cuckoo, from Middle English cokkou, from Old French cucu, from Latin cuculus — cuckoo; a term of reproach.

cuckooshrike (English): A bird of any of the species in the family...

Definitions

  1. A bird of any of the species in the family...

Ancestry of “cuckooshrike”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcuckooAny of various birds, of the family Cuculidae,...
2Middle EnglishcokkouThe cuckoo; The sound a cuckoo makes
3Old Frenchcucucuckoo
4Latincuculuscuckoo; a term of reproach
Every word from Latin cuculus →