[Lexicog] Turkey

[Koontz John E]

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 mmccaffe at indiana.edu wrote:
> Just a couple of things: the French called the wild turkey "coq d'Inde,"
> "India cock". Make of that what you will.

I tend to suspect that "turkey" in English "Turkey bird"  derives from
this eastern connection - with one exotic heathen not too carefully
distinguished from another.  The suggestion from Nick Miller that the
whole scheme derives from using the same terms for pea fowl, which also do
a spread-tail display, makes sense, and explains the (East) Indian/Turkish
connection.

A wonderful childhood memory of mine is being allowed to pick up as many
fallen peacock tailfeathers as I liked on the grounds of an estate on the
Eastern Shore that kept a flock.  A "distant uncle" - in the words of Hank
Williams - was caretaker of the place.  Alas, peacocks usually don't drop
them until they've used them a bit and then they walk around on them doing
what birds do.  I think our mother may have edited our collection some
later without telling us.