Where does “cock” come from?

cock (Middle English) comes from Old English cocc, from Old Norse kǫkkr, from Proto-Germanic kukkaz, from Proto-Indo-European gēw- — to bend, arch.

cock (Middle English): a male diminutive suffix

Definitions

  1. a male diminutive suffix

Ancestry of “cock”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcocccock, a male bird
2Old Norsekǫkkrclump; lump
3Proto-Germanickukkazcock, rooster, chicken
4Proto-Indo-Europeangēw-to bend, arch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gēw- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kukkaz →Every word from Old Norse kǫkkr →