English
pied
Pied comes from Old French pie ‘magpie’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- ‘woodpecker’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)peyk-‘woodpecker’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*peikā‘magpie’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpica‘magpie’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pie‘magpie’
- English1500–presentsame form‘magpie’
- Englishearliest quotation 1624pied
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)peyk-‘woodpecker’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*peikā‘magpie’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpica‘magpie’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pie‘magpie’
- English1500–presentsame form‘magpie’
- Englishearliest quotation 1624pied
Earliest quotation: 1624, Democritus Junior pseudonym; Robert Burt, The Anatomy of Melancholy: […]: “pied coats”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- ‘woodpecker’
through Latin pica ‘magpie’
through Old French pie ‘magpie’
through English pie ‘magpie’
Today it means
adj Having two or more colors, especially black and white.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- / pied