Where does “sitting duck” come from?

sitting duck (English) comes from English sitting, from Middle English sittinge, from Middle English sittande, from Old English sittende, from Proto-Germanic sitjandz, from Proto-Germanic sitjaną, from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- — to sit.

sitting duck (English): An obvious or unconcealed target

Definitions

  1. An obvious or unconcealed target

Ancestry of “sitting duck”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsittingA period during which one is seated for a...
2Middle Englishsittinge—
3Middle Englishsittande—
4Old Englishsittendesitting
5Proto-Germanicsitjandzsitting
6Proto-Germanicsitjanąto sit
7Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-to sit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic sitjaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic sitjandz →