Keet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kiːt/

Definitions

1. A young or juvenile bird, particularly of certain types of waterfowl or game birds
2. a colloquial term for a small or young animal
3. a form of affectionate nickname often used for children or pets

Etymology: "Keet" is a clipping of "parakeet", which means the word was cut down from a longer form, with the front and back shaved off. The full word "parakeet" came into English through French and Spanish from older sources, and over time speakers dropped most of it, leaving the short, chirpy syllable that now names a young guinea fowl. The clipped form is also onomatopoeic, meaning its sound is meant to echo the noise the birds make. The high, repeated call of young guinea fowl is sharp and piercing, and a single short syllable with a long vowel suits that sound better than the longer name it came from.