Alcid
/ˈæl.sɪd/noun
A bird belonging to the auk family, Alcidae, which includes puffins, guillemots, murres, and the extinct great auk.
Did you know?The word’s lineage is linked to the great auk, a flightless seabird hunted to extinction in the nineteenth century and scientifically named Pinguinus impennis.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek and Latin tradition
Greek/Latin
alka / alca
“A name for a sea bird, probably referring to an auk or auk-like bird”
Old Norse
Old Norse
alka
“A sea bird, the source of later northern European names for the auk”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
alk
“Auk or seabird”
16th Century
English
auk
“A northern seabird, especially one of the diving birds later classified in the auk family”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
Alca
“The genus name established for the razorbill and related auk birds”
19th Century
Scientific Latin/English
Alcidae / alcid
“The family name Alcidae and the English adjective or noun for a member of the auk family”