Where does “jackdaw” come from?
Jackdaw comes from English jack, Portuguese jaca, Malayalam ചക്ക, Proto-Germanic dagāną, and Proto-Indo-European dʰākʷ- and dʰegʷʰ-, ultimately from a root meaning to burn or kindle.
jackdaw (English): A European bird of the crow family, often...
Definitions
- A European bird of the crow family, often...
Ancestry of “jackdaw”, step by step
jackdaw traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English jack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | jack | A coarse mediaeval coat of defence, especially... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | jacke | — |
| 3 | Middle French | jaque | — |
| 4 | Middle French | jacques | — |
| 5 | French | jacques | plural of jacque; a stupid person; a jemmy or... |
| 6 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 9 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 10 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |