anka.

Unclear etymology. Attested since 1587. By surface analysis, and (“duck”) + *-ka (“f suffix”), by natural formation sometimes pronounced /andka/. One theory suggests a derivative of Old Swedish *and-kona (“duck-woman”, not attested), where -ona was treated as a definite article; see and (“wild duck”) and kona (“woman”). Another one suggest -ka to be an old diminutive suffix or thereof. Direkt cognates are found in Finnish ankka (assumed to be borrowed from Swedish), and Lübeck dialect ānk, and probably antje (literally “duck + *-je; to *antge from *antke?”). Similar pattern words are found in nearby languages. Finnish has the similar construct sotka (“sea duck”), from a Proto-Uralic root, *śoδka, also found in Sami and Uralic languages for wild duck, ultimately comprising of a lead and suffix: *śoδ- + *-ka (probably duck + f suffix). The suffix -ka (-ка (-ka)) is found in nearby Slavic languages as a feminine and diminutive forming suffix. Compare Russian у́тка f (útka), ка́чка f (káčka), Polish kaczka f (“duck”), among many more Indo-European words for female duck ending with -ka or similar.