Where does “mallard” come from?
Mallard comes from Middle English malarde, from Old French mallart, from Old French masle meaning "male," from Latin masculus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European meryo.
mallard (English): A common and widespread dabbling duck, "Anas...
Definitions
- A common and widespread dabbling duck, "Anas...
Ancestry of “mallard”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | malard | — |
| 2 | Old French | mallart | male wild duck |
| 3 | Old French | masle | male |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | masclus | Alternative form of masculus; male |
| 5 | Latin | masculus | male, masculine; man, male |
| 6 | Latin | mās | — |
| 7 | Proto-Nuristani | *māsa | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | mā́Has | moon; month |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mḗh₁n̥s | moon; month |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₁- | to measure |