perch

Where does the word "perch" come from? It comes from Greek perkē, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Perch’s story begins in Greek: perkē meant “perch.” A Greek fish name, possibly from 'perknos', dark-spotted. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as perche. Came via Latin 'perca'. It reached English by 1300s as perch. Unrelated to 'perch', a bird's roost, from Latin 'pertica', pole. Today, perch means a freshwater fish with spiny fins.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient perkē "perch", a Greek fish name, possibly from 'perknos', dark-spotted.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval perche "perch", came via Latin 'perca'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s perch "freshwater fish", unrelated to 'perch', a bird's roost, from Latin 'pertica', pole.