Editing Duck (section)

==Etymology==
The word ''duck'' comes from [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|dūce}} 'diver', a derivative of the verb {{lang|ang|*dūcan}} 'to duck, bend down low as if to get under something, or dive', because of the way many species in the [[dabbling duck]] group feed by upending; compare with [[Dutch language|Dutch]] {{lang|nl|duiken}} and [[German language|German]] {{lang|de|tauchen}} 'to dive'.

[[File:Pacific Black Ducks on pond ducking.jpg|thumb|[[Pacific black duck]] displaying the characteristic upending "duck"]]

This word replaced Old English {{lang|ang|ened}} /{{lang|ang|ænid}} 'duck', possibly to avoid confusion with other words, such as {{lang|ang|ende}} 'end' with similar forms. Other Germanic languages still have similar words for ''duck'', for example, Dutch {{lang|nl|eend}}, German {{lang|de|Ente}} and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] {{lang|no|and}}. The word {{lang|ang|ened}} /{{lang|ang|ænid}} was inherited from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]]; [[cf.]] [[Latin]] ''anas'' "duck", [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] {{lang|lt|ántis}} 'duck', [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|νῆσσα}} /{{lang|grc|νῆττα}} ({{Transliteration|grc|nēssa}} /{{Transliteration|grc|nētta}}) 'duck', and [[Sanskrit]] {{Transliteration|sa|ātí}} 'water bird', among others.

A duckling is a young duck in downy plumage<ref>{{cite web |title=Duckling |work=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition |year=2006 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |url= http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/duckling |access-date=2015-05-22}}</ref> or baby duck,<ref>{{cite web |title=Duckling |work= Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) |year=2000–2006 |publisher=K. Dictionaries Ltd |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/duckling |access-date=2015-05-22 }}</ref> but in the food trade a young domestic duck which has just reached adult size and bulk and its meat is still fully tender, is sometimes labelled as a duckling.

A male is called a [[wikt:drake|drake]] and the female is called a duck, or in [[ornithology]] a hen.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJCTL_mC5w4C&q=male+duck+is+called+a+drake+and+the+female+is+called+a+duck&pg=PA457|title=The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds|last=Dohner|first=Janet Vorwald|date=2001|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0300138139|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqSquCLNrZcC&q=male+duck+is+called+a+drake+and+the+female+is+called+a+duck+%28or+hen%29&pg=PA16|title=How to Draw Cartoon Birds|last1=Visca|first1=Curt|last2=Visca|first2=Kelley|date=2003|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=9780823961566|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Mallard-drake-chicago-march-2024.jpg|thumb|Male [[mallard]].]]

[[File:Wood-ducks-male-female-chicago-march-2024.jpg|thumb|[[Wood duck]]s.]]