From PIE *kap- (to seize) — names the bird as 'the grasper,' and has generated the political metaphor 'hawkish' since 1812.
A diurnal bird of prey with broad rounded wings and a long tail, known for its swift, agile flight and sharp vision.
From Old English 'hafoc' (hawk), from Proto-Germanic *habukaz (hawk), possibly from PIE *kap- (to seize, to grasp), making the hawk 'the seizer' or 'the grasper' — named for the way it snatches prey with its talons. The same PIE root may have produced Latin 'capere' (to seize), the ancestor of 'capture,' 'capable,' and 'captive.' If this etymology is correct, the hawk and
'Goshawk' is a compound of 'goose-hawk' (Old English 'gōshafoc'), named because the goshawk is large enough to hunt geese. The political term 'hawk' (an advocate for aggressive policy, opposed to 'dove') dates from the War of 1812, when American politicians who urged war with Britain were called 'War Hawks.' The metaphor persists in modern politics