From Old French pijon 'young dove,' from Late Latin pipionem 'chirping bird,' from the onomatopoeic Latin verb pipire 'to chirp' — a pigeon was originally a peeping nestling.
A stout-bodied bird of the family Columbidae, with a small head, short legs, and a cooing call, found worldwide in cities and the wild.
From Old French pijon 'young dove,' from Late Latin pipionem (accusative of pipio) 'a chirping bird, a young bird,' from Latin pipire 'to chirp, to peep.' The word originally denoted a young bird, specifically a nestling or squab, and only later came to mean the adult bird. The Latin verb pipire is onomatopoeic, imitating the high-pitched sounds
English has two words for the same bird: 'pigeon' (from French, originally meaning 'nestling') and 'dove' (from Old Norse, originally meaning 'diver'). In general usage, 'dove' tends to denote smaller, paler species and carries positive connotations (peace, gentleness), while 'pigeon' is used for the larger, urban-dwelling varieties.