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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Polliwog” come from and What does Polliwog mean?

Where does the word “Polliwog” come from and What does Polliwog mean?

July 23, 2020 by Karen Hill

If we called the polliwog (immature amphibian) a polwygle as our English forebears did five centuries ago, the source of the name might be more easily identified.

That is, poll, “head,” and wygle, which we now spell wiggle, a “wigglehead.”

Tadpole (which see) is the usual name in England; in America we use one or the other, whichever may first come to mind.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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