Where does “mockingbird” come from?

Mockingbird combines English mock with English bird, which derives from Old English bridd from Proto-Germanic brūdiz, while mock comes from Middle Dutch mocken.

mockingbird (English): A long-tailed American songbird of the Mimidae...

Definitions

  1. A long-tailed American songbird of the Mimidae...

Ancestry of “mockingbird”, step by step

mockingbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English mocking

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmockingPresent participle and gerund of mock; mockery;...
2EnglishmockAn imitation, usually of lesser quality; Mockery,...
3Middle Englishmokken—
4Old Frenchmocquer—
5Middle Dutchmockento mumble
6Proto-Germanicmukkijaną—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmūg-—

via English bird

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbirdA member of the class of animals Aves in the...
2Middle Englishbrida young bird, a bird in general; Alternative form...
3Old Englishbriddyoung bird, chick; chicken
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mūg- →