geoduck

Where does the word "geoduck" come from? It comes from Lushootseed gʷídəq, and was adopted directly into English (1880s).

Geoduck’s story begins in Lushootseed: gʷídəq meant “dig deep.” Meant 'dig deep', describing the enormous burrowing clam. It reached English by 1880s as geoduck. Anglicized with an unrelated spelling influenced by 'geo-' and 'duck'. Today, geoduck means a very large, long-necked burrowing clam native to the Pacific Northwest coast.

1. Stage 1 · Lushootseed · pre-1800s gʷídəq "dig deep", meant 'dig deep', describing the enormous burrowing clam.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1880s geoduck "a giant burrowing saltwater clam", anglicized with an unrelated spelling influenced by 'geo-' and 'duck'.