buzzard
UK[ˈbʌz.əd]US[ˈbʌz.ɚd]
n
A large bird of prey of the hawk family, with broad wings and a rounded tail, often seen soaring in wide circles.
n
(North American) The turkey vulture.
n
(Informal, derogatory) A person who is considered annoying or contemptible, especially an old man.
Morpheme Breakdown
buzz
ard
buzz
ard
Etymology
The word 'buzzard' has a distinctly auditory origin. Its first element, 'buzz', is an imitative word from Middle English, representing the low, humming sound made by insects, which was later associated with the hissing cry of certain hawks. The suffix '-ard', of Germanic origin via Old French, was commonly used to form nouns denoting persons (or animals) characterized by a particular quality, often negatively, as in 'drunkard' or 'sluggard'. Thus, the literal construction implies "the one characterized by a buzzing/hissing sound." Over time, while the term in British English narrowed to refer to specific broad-winged hawks of the genus Buteo, in North America it was misapplied by early colonists to the unrelated turkey vulture, likely due to its similar soaring flight. The derogatory slang meaning for a person naturally extended from the bird's perceived negative traits.
Analysis
Structure: buzz + ard
- buzz: (Origin: Imitative/Onomatopoeic, English) Functional role: The core root suggesting a humming or hissing sound.
- ard: (Origin: Old French, from Germanic) Functional role: A suffix forming agent nouns, often with a pejorative sense.
Examples
A buzzard was circling high above the field, searching for prey.
In many parts of the U.S., people mistakenly call the turkey vulture a buzzard.
The old buzzard next door is always complaining about the noise.