kite

kite · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gewH-d-“to cry, screech”
2. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*kūt“bird of prey”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kūtijō
4. Old English · inherited fromcȳta“kite; bittern”
5. Middle English · inherited fromkyte
6. English todaykite

The noun is from Middle English kyte, kīte, kete (“a kite endemic to Europe, especially the red kite (Milvus milvus)”), from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”), from Proto-West Germanic *kūtijō, diminutive of Proto-West Germanic *kūt (“bird of prey”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH-d- (“to cry, screech”). The English word is cognate with Scots kyt, kyte (“kite; bird of prey”), Middle High German kiuzelīn, kützlīn (“owling”) (modern German Kauz (“owl”)). Possibly a doublet of coot. Sense 3 (“lightweight toy”) is from the fact that it hovers in the air like the bird. The verb is derived from the noun.

kite · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʷet-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kweþuz“belly, stomach”
3. Old English · inherited from*cyde
4. Middle English · inherited from*kid
5. Proto-Germanic · derived from*kūtiz
6. Old Norse · derived fromkýta“bag, stomach (of a fish)”
7. Middle Dutch · derived fromkitte“wooden vessel of hooped staves”
8. Middle English · inherited fromkit
9. English todaykite

Uncertain; possibly: * from Middle English kit, kitte (“wooden bucket or tub; (figuratively) belly”), possibly from Middle Dutch kitte (“wooden vessel of hooped staves”) (modern Dutch kit (“metal can used mainly for coal”)), further etymology unknown; or * from Old Norse kýta (“bag, stomach (of a fish)”), from Proto-Germanic *kūtiz. * from Middle English *kid (attested only in compounds such as kide-nẹ̄re (“kidney; region of the kidneys, loins”)), possibly from Old English *cyde, *cydde (“belly”), cwiþ (“belly; womb”), from Proto-Germanic *kweþuz (“belly, stomach”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷet- or *gwet- (“rounding, swelling; entrails, stomach”), doubtfully from *gʷu-, *gū- (“to bend, bow, curve, distend, vault”). The English word is cognate with Icelandic kviði (“womb”), kviður (“stomach”), kýta (“stomach of a fish; roe”), Middle Low German kūt (“entrails”), West Flemish kijte, kiete (“fleshy part of the body”).

kite · noun³

1. Egyptian · derived fromqdt
2. Demotic Egyptian · derived fromqt
3. Coptic · borrowed fromⲕⲓⲧⲉ
4. English todaykite

Borrowed from Coptic ⲕⲓⲧⲉ (kite), from Demotic Egyptian qt, from Egyptian qdt.

Kite · proper noun⁴

1. Old English · derived fromcȳte“hut, cottage”
2. English todayKite

* As an English surname, from the noun kite (“bird of prey”). * As a German surname, Americanized from Keith. * Also as an English surname, from placenames derived from Old English cȳte (“hut, cottage”).

Words from the same roots