Where does “partridge” come from?
Partridge comes from Middle English partrich, from Old French perdriz, from Latin perdix, from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root perd- meaning to break wind.
partridge (English): Any bird of a number of genera in the family...
Definitions
- Any bird of a number of genera in the family...
Ancestry of “partridge”, step by step
partridge traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English partrich
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | partrich | partridge; The meat of a a partridge |
| 2 | Old French | perdriz | partridge |
| 3 | Latin | perdīx | partridge |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πέρδιξ | partridge |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πέρδομαι | to fart, break wind |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | pérdomai | to fart loudly |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pérdetor | to be farting |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | perd- | to fart loudly, pass gas, break wind |
via Middle English perdriz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | perdriz | Alternative form of partrich |
| 2 | Old French | partriz | — |
| 3 | Latin | perdix | partridge |
via Middle English partriche
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | partriche | Alternative form of partrich |