jackdaw (English)

Where does "jackdaw" come from?

The English noun 'jackdaw' is a compound word formed from 'jack' and 'daw'[1]. The second part, 'daw', descends through Middle English 'dawe' and Old English '*dāwe'[3], tracing further back to Proto-Germanic '*dēhǭ' and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root '*dʰēk-' meaning 'a daw, starling, thrush, similar birds'[1]. The first element 'jack' may relate to the characteristic call of the bird or be influenced by association with the given name 'Jack'[1].

Open questions

The first element of the compound may refer to a characteristic call or show influence from the name Jack. [1]
The Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European forms are likely of imitative origin. [4] [6]

Full etymology tree

jackdaw (English), 'A bird of the genus Coloeus, similar in appearance to crows and found within the same family; associated with church towers and ruins, where it frequently likes to nest.'
- compound jack (English), 'A coarse medieval coat of defence, especially one made of leather.'
  - inherited jakke (Middle English), 'A padded coat, especially as light armour.'
    - borrowed jacke (Anglo-Norman)
      - derived jacques (Middle French)
        derived Jacques (French), 'a male given name, the French equivalent of James and Jacob, and formerly used as a generic name for peasants'
- compound daw (English), 'A western jackdaw, Coloeus monedula, a passerine bird in the crow family (Corvidae), more commonly called jackdaw.'
  - inherited dawe (Middle English), 'alternative form of dawen'
    - inherited *dāwe (Old English)
      - inherited *dāhwā (Proto-West Germanic), 'jackdaw'
        inherited *dēhǭ (Proto-Germanic), 'jackdaw'
        inherited *dʰek-, *dʰēk- (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

jack (English)
daw (English)
*dēhǭ (Proto-Germanic)

Cognates and doublets

Dohle (German)
doacke (Old Prussian)

Sources

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris