palumbes

Meaning

turtle dove, ring dove

pigeon

περιστέρι

kev

colomb

Pronounced as (IPA)

[paˈɫʊm.beːs]

Possibly a derivative of Proto-Italic *palwos, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥H-wo- (“dark-colored, gray”), from *pelH- (“gray, pale”), owing to the color of the pigeon's plumage. Compare Ancient Greek πέλειᾰ (péleiă, “rock pigeon”) and Old Prussian poalis (“pigeon”); see palleō (“to be pale”) for more potential cognates. However, the suffix is unexplained and resembles that in Ancient Greek κολυμβῐ́ς (kolumbĭ́s, “diver, little grebe, pigeon”), which may point to substrate origin.