partridge English · revision 776

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɑɹtɹɪd͡ʒ/; /ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|partrich]], earlier ''pertris'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) [[bor|fro|pertris]], ''perdriz'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) an alteration of ''perdis'', perhaps influenced by the feminine suffix ''-trix'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la|perdīx]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) [[der|grc|πέρδιξ|tr=pérdix]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The Greek name is probably related to ''pérdesthai'' “to break wind”, from the whirring noise of the bird's wings,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hendrickson 2008) a root also found in English [[fart]].^(Etymonline) The ending ''-dge'' shows the same change from final unaccented ''-ch'' as in ''knowledge'' and ''cabbage''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A game bird, especially the grey partridge of Britain and central Europe (c. 1290 in the OED; about 1300 in Barnhart; c. 1300 in Etymonline, with the surname ''Pertriz'' from 1176).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word had many variant spellings, and the forms with ''-g-'' emerge in the mid-15th century.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) It was also used of the bird's flesh as food.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary) In the former British colonies and the United States it was applied from 1634 to various birds of the grouse and pheasant families,^(OED 1989) such as the ruffed grouse in the northern US and the bobwhite in the South.^(AHD)^(RHWU) The French saying ''toujours perdrix'', “always partridge”, means too much of the same thing.^(Hendrickson 2008)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1176 – the surname ''Pertriz''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1290 – the game bird.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-15th century – forms with ''-g-''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1634 – American birds such as grouse.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of several plump Old World [[game bird|alt=game birds]], especially of the genera ''Perdix'' and ''Alectoris'', related to the [[pheasant|alt=pheasants]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Any of several similar birds, such as the [[ruffed grouse]] or the [[bobwhite]].^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)

+ # The flesh of the partridge as food.^(Wiktionary)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[partridgelike]]

+ * [[partridgeberry]]

+ * [[partridge pea]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fart]]

+ * [[grouse]]

+ * [[quail]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}