As a noun, a hawk is a bird of prey with sharp claws and a hooked beak. As a verb, to hawk something is to try to sell it loudly in public.
The bird word comes from Old English “hafoc” or “heafoc,” related to other Germanic bird names. The selling sense may come from a different root meaning to clear the throat, then extended to loud street selling.
In politics, a “hawk” is someone who favors military force, based on the bird’s hunting image. English loves turning animals into personality labels—think “hawk,” “dove,” “fox,” and “eagle-eyed.”
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