cusceote

Old English

cūsċeote

cūsċeote

Alternative forms

• cūsċote, cūsċute

Etymology

Uncertain; the traditional derivation from cū (“cow”) +‎ *sċote, *sċeote (“shoot of a plant?" or "shooter?, darter?”, an otherwise unknown derivative of sċēotan (“to shoot”)) is somewhat semantically dubious; however, compare Old High German *skozza in erdskozza (“vine sapling, shoot”, literally “ground-shoot”). Perhaps the reference to cow is due to the cowish appearance, nature, and disposition of wood pidgeons and ring doves; or, because wood pigeons can often be seen feeding in fields where cows graze. However, there are no known reported myths or old wives' tales explaining a connection between wood pidgeons and cows (e.g. that wood pidgeons spring up out of cow excrement, etc.).

Alternatively, the first element may instead be cūsċ (“chaste, modest, pure, clean”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkuːˌʃo.te/

Noun

cūsċeote f

1. (zoology) a woodpigeon or ringdove

Declension

Weak n-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	cūsċeote	cūsċeotan
accusative	cūsċeotan	cūsċeotan
genitive	cūsċeotan	cūsċeotena
dative	cūsċeotan	cūsċeotum

Synonyms

• culfre
• *dūfe

Descendants

• Middle English: cowschote, cowscott, cowshott, quysht, quyshte, quyst
  • English: cowshot, cushat, quist, queest
    • ⇒ English: cushie, cusha
  • Scots: cushat