rood goosen.

Etymology: < a first element of uncertain origin (probably rout n.⁵, although this is first attested slightly later) + goose n. Compare West Frisian rotgoes , Dutch rotgans (1504; perhaps showing some folk-etymological association with rot troop, file (see rot n.²); compare rot-goose n.), German regional (Low German: Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck) Rottgos , German Rottgans (1750; 1675 as Rotgans , apparently showing folk-etymological association with rot red adj.; compare red goose n. 1), Old Icelandic hroðgás (one isolated attestation; perhaps a transmission error for *hrotgás ; however, compare the Saami forms cited below), Icelandic hrotgæs , showing folk-etymological association with hrot snore, snoring (see rout n.⁵), Norwegian rotgås , Swedish rödgås (1749; with folk-etymological substitution of röd red adj. for the first element, probably after German), early modern Danish radgaas , raagaas , ragaas (Danish rågås ); all with a first element that is probably ultimately imitative of the bird's call. Compare also Saami ruođđa (also ruođđe-čuonjá , in which the second element means ‘goose’), ruođa (now the usual form), all denoting the lesser white-fronted goose, Anser erythropus (apparently < early Scandinavian). Compare later red goose n. 1, rot-goose n., road-goose n., rat goose n.The first element of the word (in English as in other languages) seems to have been subject to widespread alteration as a result of folk etymology throughout its history (compare discussion at the entries cited above, and also quot. 1884 at α. below). In β. forms perhaps showing folk-etymological association with rood n.; in some of the γ. forms (restricted to Orkney and Caithness) perhaps showing folk-etymological association with raid n.; with form rede goose at γ. forms perhaps compare red goose n. 1, although it is more likely to represent a Caithness pronunciation showing unrounding of Older Scots /yː/ (compare forms at rood n.).