Where does “prairie chicken” come from?

prairie chicken (English) comes from English prairie, from French prairie, from Old French praerie, from Portuguese prataria, from Portuguese prata, from Old Portuguese prata, from Vulgar Latin platta, from Latin plattus — flat.

prairie chicken (English): Any of the genus "Tympanuchus" of grouse, native...

Definitions

  1. Any of the genus "Tympanuchus" of grouse, native...

Ancestry of “prairie chicken”, step by step

prairie chicken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English prairie

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprairieAn extensive area of relatively flat grassland...
2Frenchprairiemeadow, grassland, pasture, prairie
3Old Frenchpraeriemeadow
4Portuguesepratariasilverware; cutlery; plates, dishes collectively
5Portuguesepratasilver; one hundred cents of current currency...
6Old Portuguesepratasilver
7Vulgar Latinplattametal plate
8Latinplattusflattened
9Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

via English Chicken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishChickenA domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus)
2English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
3Middle English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
4Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
5Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
6Proto-Norse-īna-
7Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
8Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
9Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pléth₂usEvery word from Ancient Greek πλατύς