rook

rook · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kerk-“crow, raven”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hrōkaz
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hrōk
4. Old English · inherited fromhrōc
5. Middle English · inherited fromrok
6. English todayrook

* Inherited from Middle English rok, roke, from Old English hrōc, from Proto-West Germanic *hrōk, from Proto-Germanic *hrōkaz (compare Old Norse hrókr, Saterland Frisian Rouk, Dutch roek, obsolete German Ruch), from Proto-Indo-European *kerk- (“crow, raven”) (compare Old Irish cerc (“hen”), Old Prussian kerko (“loon, diver”), dialectal Bulgarian кро́кон (krókon, “raven”), Ancient Greek κόραξ (kórax, “crow”), Old Armenian ագռաւ (agṙaw), Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬵𐬭𐬐𐬀𐬙𐬀𐬝 (kahrkatat̰, “rooster”), Sanskrit कृकर (kṛkara, “rooster”)), Ukrainian крук (kruk, “raven”). * (parson): Probably from the resemblance in plumage to a parson's garments.

rook · noun²

1. Middle Persian · derived fromlhw'“rook, castle (chess)”
2. Persian · derived fromرخ
3. Old French · derived fromroc
4. Middle English · inherited fromrook
5. English todayrook

Inherited from Middle English rook, rooke, roke, rok, from Old French roc, ultimately from Persian رخ (rox), from Middle Persian lhw' (rox, “rook, castle (chess)”). Compare roc.

rook · noun³

Clipping of rookie.

rook · noun⁴

1. Old Norse · derived from*rauk
2. Middle English · inherited fromroke
3. English todayrook

Inherited from Middle English roke, rock, rok (“mist; vapour; drizzle; smoke; fumes”), from Old Norse *rauk, related to Icelandic rok, roka (“whirlwind; seafoam; seaspray”), Middle Dutch rooc, rok, Modern Dutch rook (“smoke; fog”).

Words from the same roots