Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “quacken” come from?

quacken (Middle English) comes from Middle Dutch quacken, from Old Dutch kwaken — to croak, quack.

Ancestry of “quacken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchquackento croak, quack; to brag, boast; to croak
2Old Dutchkwakento croak, quack

Words derived from “quacken”

  • quack
  • quackery
  • quacking
  • quackgrass
  • quackish
  • quacker
  • quacky
  • quackle
  • quackism
  • quacklike
  • quackishly
  • antiquackery
  • quackingly
  • quackhood
  • quackishness
  • quacketh
  • quackbuster
  • quackbusting
  • quackster
Every word from Old Dutch kwaken →