Animals & Nature

where do peacocks get there name from? (sensible answers only please)

where do peacocks get there name from? (sensible answers only please)

many thanks

t xx

tweenyb Mon 21/07/08 19:22

<< Previous

Next >>

Subscribe to question

Post an Answer

Jenna1978
Mon 21/07/08
20:05

Found this if you (or anyone else) can decipher it...

Origin: OE. Pecok. Pea- in this word is from AS. Pea, pawa, peacock, fr. L. Pavo, prob. Of Oriental origin; cf. Gr, Per. Taus, tawus, Ar. Tawus. See **** the bird.

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Peaco ck

Quizmonster
Mon 21/07/08
20:54

The Latin name for this bird was pavo. This became pawa in Old English and just pe - pronounced pee - in Middle English, giving us the complete modern sound. The word for male bird was simply added to this, just as the equivalent, hen, was added for the female bird.

wildwood
Mon 21/07/08
23:53

The birds as a species are peafowls.

figure
Tue 22/07/08
00:02

The word peacock actually derives from Old English péa “peacock”, and the –**** (or –hen) was added during the Middle English period in order to distinguish between males and females, as mentioned above. The Old English form comes from Latin pavo “peacock”. The peacock was a native of India, but it was domesticated and then taken to the West by traders. The Romans probably took it to Britain, where their name for the bird was adopted and changed by the Anglo-Saxons. The Latin word is thought to come from Greek taos “peacock”. http://tinyurl.com/57r28p

tweenyb
Tue 22/07/08
18:10

Question Author

Thank you all :0) xx

Post an Answer

Submit the above question and answers

add to del.icio.us	add to digg	add to furl
add to reddit	add to Technorati	add to Blinklist
add to StumbleUpon	add to squidoo	add to ma.gnolia
add to Cocomment	add to Netscape	add to Fark

Most Recent

Most Recently Answered

All Unanswered

All Answered