Etymograph

English

falcon

Falcon comes from Late Latin falcō.

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfalcōby way of Frankish *falkō
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400falcun
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500faucoun
  4. Englishearliest quotation 2003falcon

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfalcōby way of Frankish *falkō
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400falcun
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500faucoun
  4. Englishearliest quotation 2003falcon

Earliest quotation: 2003, Brenda Joyce, House of Dreams: “He rode astride while hawking; she falconed in the…”

The story

Inherited from Middle English faucoun, falcon, faulcon, from Old French falcun, from Late Latin falcō (‘falcon’), of Germanic origin, probably via Frankish *falkō (‘falcon, hawk’), from Proto-Germanic *falkô (‘falcon’), from Proto-Indo-European *pol̑- (‘pale’), from *pel- (‘fallow’).

Every English word from Late Latin falcō

Today it means

noun Any bird of the genus Falco, all of which are birds of prey.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Late Latin falcō / falcon

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