Crow
/kroʊ/noun
A large black bird of the genus Corvus, or the harsh, shrill sound it makes.
Did you know?Unlike words like “nightmare” or “disaster,” “crow” is not a hidden curse-word relic, but its ancient Indo-European root also survives in a huge family of sound-imitating words across Europe and Asia.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kreh₂-
“to cry out, call loudly”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krǣną
“to cry out, make a loud sound”
Old English
OE
crāwe
“crow; the bird”
Middle English
ME
crowe
“crow; the bird”
Modern English
English
crow
“a large black bird, especially one of the genus Corvus”