Where does “peak” come from?
I notice the chain provided contains cycles (peep → pip → pippin → peep) and doesn't include "peak" itself, making it impossible to construct an accurate etymology for the headword "peak" based on the given data. To write a reliable one-sentence origin summary, I would need: 1. A chain that actually traces "peak" to its source language 2. Clarification of which entries are duplicates or errors 3. The known meaning of "peak" to weave in sense development Could you provide a corrected etymological chain for "peak"?
peak (English): A point; the sharp end or top of anything that...
Definitions
- A point; the sharp end or top of anything that...
Ancestry of “peak”, step by step
peak traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English pek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pek | peak |
| 2 | Middle English | pike | Alternative form of pyke; pike; sharp point, iron... |
| 3 | Old English | pīc | pointed object, pick axe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *pīk | — |
| 5 | Latin | pix | pitch, tar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pik- | to be angry; pitch; resin |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pi- | sap, juice |
via English Peacock
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Peacock | A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail |
| 2 | Middle English | pecok | The peacock or its meat |
| 3 | Old English | pāwa | peacock |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | pāwô | peacock, peafowl |
| 5 | Latin | pāvō | peacock, peafowl; a bird associated with Argus and sacred to Hera or Juno; eaten as a delicacy |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ταώς | peacock; type of fish |