κρεκός

κρέξ, κρεκός

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `name of a long-legged bird, perhaps the ruff, Machetes pugnax, or the corn-crake, Rallus crex (Hdt., Ar., Arist.), also metaph. of a noisy braggart (Eup.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European]X [probably] [568] *kerk- `birds'

Etymology: As the identification of the bird is uncertain (s. Thompson Birds s. v.), all etymologies are hypothetical. Onomatopoetic origin is open; one compares other bird names as Skt. kr̥kara- `kind of partridge', MIr. cercc `hen', OPr. kerko `diver', Russ. kréčet `gerfalcon' (Pok. 568; see also Borgström NTS 16, 142). - Further κερκάς κρεξ τὸ ὄρνεον, κερκιθαλίς ἐρῳδιός (cf. αἰγίθαλος), κέρκος ἀλεκτρυών H.; also κέρκνος ἱέραξ η ἀλεκρυών H., and κέρκαξ ἱέραξ H. (On confusion with κέρκος `tail of an animal' (s. v.) nothing can be said.

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