Surprisingly, the name of this bird seems to come, ultimately, via Anglo-Norman and Latin, from Ancient Greek πέρδεσθαι, perthesthai, to break wind. It’s believed to be imitative of the rapid whirring of a partridge’s wings as it takes off from the ground (if you have ever heard this sound you’ll recognise the resemblance). The word fart comes from the same root.
Partridge Etymology
Surprisingly, the name of this bird seems to come, ultimately, via Anglo-Norman and Latin, from Ancient Greek πέρδεσθαι, perthesthai, to break wind. It’s believed to be imitative of the rapid whirring of a partridge’s wings as it takes off from the ground (if you have ever heard this sound you’ll recognise the resemblance). The word fart comes from the same root.