haggisn.

Etymology: Origin unknown. It is clear that the same word is shown by Anglo-Norman hagis , hagiz , agys haggis (all 13th cent.; also 15th cent. in hagays de Almayn : compare quot. ?a1475 at sense 2); however, it is unclear whether the English word shows a borrowing from this, or whether (in spite of the difference in chronology of the earliest attestations) the reverse is true. It is also unclear which (if any) of a number of etymological possibilities best explains the origin of the Anglo-Norman and Middle English words, or whether there is an interplay of several different inputs. (i) If an origin in Anglo-Norman is sought, it is tempting to see here a derivative of Anglo-Norman hager , variant (attested in Anglo-Norman in the 15th cent., and also paralleled in some other dialects of French) of Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French hacher , hachier to chop up (see hatch v.²); the noun would thus be formally parallel to later hachis hachis n. (the suffix being that shown by coppice n., although at this date largely indistinguishable from the ending of the past participle). However, if so the pronunciation with /ɡ/ (rather than /dʒ/) shown by the English word (and suggested also by Anglo-Norman hagays ) is not easy to account for, although compare Anglo-Norman haker , variant (recorded in the 15th cent.) of hacher . However, a more satisfactory formal etymon for a word with /ɡ/ would be provided by Middle French (regional: Normandy) haguier to chop (1344 in an apparently isolated attestation; French (regional: Normandy) haguer ), which apparently shows a borrowing (with voicing of the medial consonant) from one of the Germanic cognates of hack v.¹ (probably Middle Dutch hacken ), although if so there appears likely to have been mutual influence between this word and hacher . Influence from English hag v.¹ (or phonetically more distantly hack v.¹) is also possible (in Anglo-Norman as well as in Middle English), as is folk-etymological association with haggess n. or haggister n. (see further below). (ii) If an origin in English is sought, it is semantically and formally possible that the word is < hag v.¹, with reference to the minced or chopped ingredients, but if so the ending is unexplained (unless perhaps it arose through some process of association with haggess n. or haggister n.: compare discussion below). (iii) Alternatively, perhaps connected in some way with haggess n. or haggister n., names for the magpie: compare the striking parallel of pie n.² beside pie n.¹, and perhaps compare also chewet n.¹ beside chewet n.² A semantic connection between names for the magpie and haggis could perhaps have arisen from the light and dark particoloured appearance of the dish (hence recalling the bird's appearance), or from its comprising an assortment of miscellaneous ingredients collected together (if this was felt to be reminiscent of the bird's habit of collecting miscellaneous articles). However, if so it is unclear whether this may have given rise directly to the word haggis , or whether haggess n. or haggister n. may rather have exerted a folk-etymological influence (compare discussion above).