The common name "jackdaw" first appeared in the 16th century, and is thought to be a compound of the forename "Jack", used in animal names to signify a small form (e.g. jack snipe), and the archaic native English word "daw". Formerly, western jackdaws were simply called "daws". The metallic "chyak" call may be the origin of the "jack" part of the common name, but this is not supported by the "Oxford English Dictionary". "Daw", first used for the bird in the 15th century, is held by the "Oxford English Dictionary" to be derived from the postulated Old English "dawe", citing the cognates in Old High German "tāha", Middle High German "tāhe" or "tāchele", and modern German "Dahle" or "Dohle", and dialectal "Tach, Dähi, Däche" and "Dacha".