English
drake
Drake comes from Middle English drake ‘male duck, drake’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drake‘male duck, drake’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drake‘male duck, drake’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961same form
Earliest quotation: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “A drake belonging to a chemist, having drunk water…”
A compound of *anad ‘duck’ + *rekō
Proto-Indo-European *h₂énh₂ts ‘duck’
Proto-Germanic *anadz ‘duck’
Proto-West Germanic *anad ‘duck’
Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs ‘king, ruler’
Proto-Germanic *rekô ‘ruler, chief’
Proto-West Germanic *rekō
Every English word from Middle English drake
Another origin of drake
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*derḱ-‘to see’uncertain
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*dérkomaiuncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδέρκομαιdérkomai‘to see clearly’uncertain
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδράκωνdrákōn‘serpent, giant seafish’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdracō‘dragon’
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drakō‘dragon’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150draca‘dragon, sea monster, huge serpent’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drake‘dragon’
- Englishtodaysame form
Today it means
noun A male duck (bird).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English drake / drake