beak

Where does the word "beak" come from? It comes from Latin beccus, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Beak’s story begins in Latin: beccus meant “beak.” A Gaulish word recorded by Suetonius. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as bec. Normandy's Bec Abbey was named after a stream. It reached English by 1200s as beak. Slang 'beak' for a magistrate dates from the 1700s. Today, beak means a bird's hard projecting mouth.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient beccus "beak", a Gaulish word recorded by Suetonius.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval bec "beak", Normandy's Bec Abbey was named after a stream.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s beak "bird's bill", slang 'beak' for a magistrate dates from the 1700s.