Turkey
/ˈtɝː.ki/noun
A large domesticated bird native to North America, or the country in western Asia and southeastern Europe.
Did you know?The English bird-name came through a trade confusion: it was associated with ‘Turkey-cock’ because imported birds reached England via Turkish merchants, even though the bird is native to the Americas.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*twers-
“to turn, twist”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Τυρρανός / Tyrrhenos
“Tyrrhenian; later used in names connected with foreign peoples”
Late Latin
Latin
Turcia
“Land of the Turks”
Old French
Old French
turque
“Turk; Turkish”
16th Century
English
turkie cock
“A peafowl or guinea fowl imported via Turkey; later applied to the American bird”
Modern English
English
turkey
“The bird; also the country name and, colloquially, a failure or dud”