What is the origin of the word 'duck'?

BRY2K

The word duck (from Anglo-Saxon d¨±ce), meaning the bird, came from the verb "to duck" (from Anglo-Saxon supposed *d¨±can) meaning "to bend down low as if to get under something" or "to dive", because of the way many species in the dabbling duck group feed by upending (compare Dutch duiken, German tauchen = "to dive"). This happened because the older Anglo-Saxon words ened (= "duck") and ende (= "end") came to be pronounced the same: other Germanic languages still have similar words for "duck" and "end": for example, Dutch eend = "duck", eind = "end", German ente = "duck", ende = "end"; this similarity goes back to Indo-European: compare Latin anas (stem anat-) = "duck", Lithuanian antis = "duck", Ancient Greek ¦Í¦Ç¦Ò¦Ò¦Á, ¦Í¦Ç¦Ó¦Ó¦Á (n¨¥ssa, n¨¥tta) = "duck"; Sanskrit anta = "end". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck Mar 05 08, 5:35 PM

Soozy_Woozy

The word duck originates from the Saxon word 'ducas' which was meant as a term of respect: similar to the middle English 'duc', 'duk' which denotes a leader, commander: from which comes the title 'Duke' and the Old French word 'duchee' - the territory ruled by a Duke. http://www.thepotteries.org/dialect_qa.html Mar 06 08, 3:40 AM

author

We are talking about several different meanings here which should not be confused. There is the bird "duck" and the verb "duck". Then there is this one, "duck" as a dialectal greeting: Quote: Where does 'duck' come from? Firstly the word “duck” (a term of greeting, for man or woman) has nothing at all to do with the winged bird of the same name. It is said to find its origin in the Saxon word ‘ducas’ which was meant as a term of respect; similar to the Middle English ‘duc’, ‘duk’ which denotes a leader, commander; from which comes the title ‘Duke’ and the Old French word ‘ducheé’ - the territory ruled by a Duke. From these origins it became a greeting and then a term of endearment. http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/voices2005/features/steve_birks.shtml Mar 06 08, 5:59 AM

Baloo55th

It's still current as a greeting regardless of sex in places like Nottingham. The other day, Baloo (who is of course a bear) was rather amused to be addressed as 'duck' there by both a man and his wife..... Mar 06 08, 12:14 PM