- partridge
- 1176, from O.Fr. pertis, alteration of perdis (perhaps infl. by fem. suffix -tris), from L. perdicem (nom. perdix), from Gk. perdix, the Greek partridge, probably related to perdesthai "to break wind," in ref. to the whirring noise of the bird's wings, from PIE imitative base *perd- "to break wind" (cf. Skt. pardate "breaks wind," Lith. perdzu, Rus. perdet, O.H.G. ferzan, O.N. freta, M.E. farten).