partridge

Partridge comes from Middle English partrich, from Old French perdriz, from Latin perdīx, from Ancient Greek pérdix. The Greek word is probably related to pérdomai, meaning "to fart."

The word passed from Greek into Latin, then into Old French as perdriz, and into Middle English in various spellings like partrich and pertriche before settling into its current English form.

Its deepest root, Greek pérdomai, links the bird's name to a rather earthy verb — suggesting its whirring flight sound reminded people of something less poetic than birdsong.