penguin

The story

1. Proto-Celtic*kʷennom
2. Proto-Brythonic*penn
3. Welshpen?
4. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-der.?
5. Proto-Celtic*windos
6. Proto-Brythonic*gwɨnn
7. Welshgwyn?
8. Proto-Indo-European*peyh₂-
9. Proto-Indo-European*bʰenǵʰ-influ.?
10. Latinpinguisder.?
11. English todaypenguin

Uncertain. First attested in the 16th century in reference to the auk of the Northern hemisphere; the word was later applied to the superficially similar birds of the Southern hemisphere (as was woggin). Possibly from Welsh pen (“head”) and gwyn (“white”), or from Latin pinguis (“fat”). See citations and the Wikipedia article. Sense 3 originates from the often black-and-white habit worn by nuns, which resemble the bird's colors.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. Any of several flightless sea birds, of the family Spheniscidae within the order Sphenisciformes, found in the Southern Hemisphere, marked by their usual upright stance, walking on short legs, and (generally) their stark black and white plumage.