Etymograph

English

porpoise

Porpoise comes from Anglo-Norman porpeis, from Latin porcus ‘hog, pig’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- ‘to dig’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perḱ-‘to dig’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pórḱos‘young pig’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*porkos‘pig’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporcus‘hog, pig’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*porcopiscisliterally ‘hog-fish’reconstructed
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400porpeis
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500porpeys
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1979porpoise

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perḱ-‘to dig’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pórḱos‘young pig’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*porkos‘pig’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporcus‘hog, pig’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*porcopiscisliterally ‘hog-fish’reconstructed
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400porpeis
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500porpeys
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1979porpoise

Earliest quotation: 1979, J.G. Ballard, The Unlimited Dream Company: “Urging them to join me, I raced in circles…”

The story

From Middle English porpeys, purpeys, borrowed from Anglo-Norman porpeis, purpeis, Old French pourpois, porpois, pourpais, porpeis (‘porpoise’), from Vulgar Latin *porcopiscis (“porpoise”, literally “hog-fish”), taken from Latin porcus (‘hog, pig’) + piscis (‘fish’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- ‘to dig’

perch, furlong, furrow, 11 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pórḱos ‘young pig’

farrow, 4 more

through Latin porcus ‘hog, pig’

pork, porcelain, porcine, porcini, 4 more

Today it means

noun A small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, related to dolphins and whales.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- / porpoise

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