pheasant (English)
Where does "pheasant" come from?
The word 'pheasant' traces back to the Ancient Greek name 'phāsianós,' which literally meant 'bird of the River Phasis' in modern-day Georgia, the region from which the bird was thought to have spread westward. This name passed through Latin into Old French, eventually entering Middle English as 'fesaunt.' In the process, it displaced the native Old English term 'wōrhana,' which had combined ancient Germanic roots for a grouse-like bird and a rooster.
Full etymology tree
- pheasant (English), 'A bird of family Phasianidae, often hunted for food.'
- inherited fesaunt (Middle English), 'A pheasant (bird of family Phasianidae)'
- borrowed fesan (Old French), 'alternative form of faisan'
- inherited phāsiānus (Latin), 'pheasant (bird)'
- inherited φᾱσιανός (phāsianós) (Ancient Greek)
- derived Φᾶσῐς (Phâsĭs) (Ancient Greek)
- inherited φᾱσιανός (phāsianós) (Ancient Greek)
- inherited phāsiānus (Latin), 'pheasant (bird)'
- borrowed fesan (Old French), 'alternative form of faisan'
- inherited fesaunt (Middle English), 'A pheasant (bird of family Phasianidae)'
Direct ancestors
- fesaunt (Middle English)
- fesan (Old French)
- phasianus (Latin)
- φασιανός (Ancient Greek)
- worhana (Old English)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris