Etymology: In sense A. 1 < cock n.¹ + egg n. (see α. forms at egg n.), although the medial syllable is difficult to explain: it may show *coken as a genitive plural form of cock n.¹ (although this noun usually shows strong rather than weak inflections); a facetious blend with chicken n. is perhaps thinkable; it is also possible that the n results from a variant of α. forms at egg n. with metanalysis, i.e. *ney , and that the vowel preceding it is an epenthetic development; analogical influence from pigsney n. is perhaps also possible. Compare later cock's egg n. at cock n.¹ and int. Compounds 2. Sense A. 2 (and hence ultimately all later senses) probably shows a semantic development from sense A. 1, although the details cannot be traced in detail, and some have questioned the plausibility of such a development. Alternatively, senses A. 1 and A. 2 may show unrelated words, although alternative explanations for the origin of the word in sense A. 2 are variously problematic.The identification of the second element (in sense A. 1) as egg n. appears to be confirmed by the following (apparently isolated) instance of a form showing β. forms at egg n.:1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Caccherelli, cacklings of hens; also egs [1611 egges], as we say cockanegs.It is not entirely clear whether use in sense A. 1 developed from an actual folk belief that cockerels in fact laid (small, malformed, or poor quality) eggs, or whether the reference to the male bird was entirely facetious. Compare also (later) cock's egg n. at cock n.¹ and int. Compounds 2, and especially quot. ?1527 for cock's egg n. at cock n.¹ and int. Compounds 2, which refers directly to the widespread story that the mythical cockatrice was hatched from a cockerel's egg (see cockatrice n.). Compare also German (regional) Hahnenei , lit. ‘cockerel's egg’, in sense ‘malformed egg’, also (probably with reference to the mythical cockatrice) ‘anything wonderful or unbelievable’; however, this German word may well have arisen from (facetious) alteration or misapprehension of Hühnerei hen's egg ( < Huhn hen). Sense A. 2 may have arisen from a perception of a pampered child as a ‘nestling’ or perhaps as a weakling (compare nestle-cock n.), or perhaps simply arose from use of a term for a ‘little egg’ as a term of affection; there may also have been some association with cocker v.¹, which sometimes occurs in close proximity to uses of this word in sense A. 2. Sense A. 3 probably developed in turn from A. 2, and then sense A. 4 simply shows narrowing from A. 3. With the semantic transfer from egg to person perhaps compare modern French use of coco , a child's term for an egg ( < coque eggshell: see coque n.), as a term of affection for a person, and hence also (by antiphrasis) as a term for a person one disfavours. Although only attested in modern use, these may be related to post-classical Latin coconellus , cucunellus , which occur in the 15th cent. as equivalents of the English word in sense A. 2 (although the Latin forms may alternatively show derivatives from an imitative base corresponding to the probable imitative base of cocker v.¹ and cock v.³): ▸ 1440 Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 281 Kokeney, carinutus, coconellus, vel cucunellus; et hec duo nomina sunt ficta, et derisorie dicta; delicius. A number of other etymologies have been suggested for sense A. 2 and subsequent senses. Probably the most plausible of these suggests a borrowing from Old French, Middle French coquin person of low social status, beggar, hanger-on (of uncertain origin) or a related word, perhaps specifically (in an attempt to account for the ending of the English word) the past participles coquiné or acoquiné of the derived verbs coquiner or (16th-cent.) acoquiner . However, this explanation encounters formal difficulties, does not offer an entirely satisfactory semantic explanation (the assumed etymological connection of these words with classical Latin coquīna kitchen is very doubtful, and uses denoting an idler or kitchen hanger-on first appear late in French), and additionally none of these words appear to be attested in Anglo-Norman. Although previously often assumed to be related (see especially Cockneyland n. 1), there is probably no etymological connection with Cockaigne n. The etymology suggested (for use in sense A. 4a) in the following was probably only ever intended facetiously:1617 J. Minsheu Ἡγεμὼν είς τὰς γλῶσσας: Ductor in Linguas (at cited word) A Cockney or Cockny, applied only to one borne within the sound of Bow-bell, that is, within the City of London, which tearme came first out of this tale: That a Cittizens sonne riding with his father..into the Country..asked, when he heard a horse neigh, what the horse did his father answered, the horse doth neigh; riding farther he heard a cocke crow, and said doth the cocke neigh too? and therfore Cockney or Cocknie, by inuersion thus: incock, q. incoctus i. raw or vnripe in Country-mens affaires.

Etymology: < cockney n.Compare earlier (apparently isolated) use of cockneying (probably < cockney n. + -ing suffix¹):1530 T. Elyot tr. Plutarch Educ. Children sig. D4 But beware gyue them not to many prayses, leste they take therby to moche courage and presumption: and with to moche cockenayenge be spylled and lost.With sense 2 compare earlier cockneyed adj.