Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “curlew” come from?

Curlew comes from Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu, likely from French coureur meaning runner, with the agent suffix -eur from Latin -or, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root kers- meaning to run.

curlew (English): Any of several migratory wading birds in the...

Definitions

  1. Any of several migratory wading birds in the...

Ancestry of “curlew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcurlewcurlew; quail
2Old Frenchcourlieu—
3Frenchcorliurunner, messenger
4Frenchcoureurrunner; racer; rider
5Middle Frenchcoureur—

Words derived from “curlew”

  • stone curlew
  • curlewlike
Every word from Middle French coureur →