A duck is an aquatic animal, found in freshwater environments around the world.
I probably haven’t blown your mind by telling you that. Nor, I’m sure, will I do so by telling you that to duck is a verb meaning to quickly dip your head. I may, however, surprise you slightly by telling you which word came first.
If you don’t know already, you might be able to guess. And this isn’t one of those cases wherein the words have very different etymologies, and are identical purely by coincidence. No, the words are quite directly related, and once you know how, it seems really obvious in retrospect. You see, a duck is so called because it… ducks!
Well to be more specific, it dives. To duck had existed in English since at least the early 14th century, meaning to dive. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when ducks got their English name, but considering they’re named for their habit of diving underwater for food, it’s safe to assume that the verb to duck was in existence long before we named the bird.
The modern meaning of to duck as in to quickly lower your head first appeared in the late 16th century, and gradually came to solely refer to specifically this action, and the bird, and not diving in general.
The first recorded use of ducking, as an adjective, is from the late 20th century, and is believed to have been used by a Nokia 3310, when its owner wanted to say f**king.
I always find that really ducking annoying.
English-Language Thoughts 
My dad (from the East coast of Scotland) always referred to his swimming trunks as ‘dookers’ – I wonder if that comes from the same original source? And ‘ducking and diving’ is a common enough phrase too… 🙂
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I’m sure there’s a link, as apparently “dooker” is also an old Scots word for a diving bird. I’ll bet “dunk” is related too.
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I wrote a post about animal names that can also be verbs, but I don’t think I included this one! It’s here if you want to read – https://englishwithkirsty.com/2016/09/06/animal-names-that-can-also-be-verbs/
Anyway thanks for sharing and I think my students will enjoy this one!
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Just read and commented, thanks for sharing 😊
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Lol, interesting how the word duck evolutionized to what it is today. Good to know. Love your informative posts.
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Interesting and fun! Didn’t know this at all! I’ll need to show this so my sister, she’s and English language and grammar enthusiast.
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I’ve never thought of that, so interesting how they have such a connection! Also love your ending line, who doesn’t hate when that happens 😂
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You’d think my phone would’ve learned by now that I never write about ducking 😊
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I’m surprised that there isn’t an earlier record of ducking, since witches were punished on a ducking stool. Maybe that is a modern term for it – it could have been called something else in the 1600’s
Always interesting 😊👍
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There probably is an older record. I’ll admit I didn’t really look it up and was just joking around with that last part 😊
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Ha! You chancer! 😂
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I once walked into a bedding store to buy a pillow.
“Duck down?” asked the assistant.
So I threw myself onto the floor.
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Love it!
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