Where does “antpecker” come from?

antpecker (English) comes from English ȧnt, from Middle English ampte, from Old English ǣmete, from Proto-West Germanic āmaitijā, from Proto-West Germanic uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic uz-, from Proto-Indo-European uss-, from Proto-Indo-European uds- — out, outward.

antpecker (English): Any of the genus "Parmoptila" of tropical...

Definitions

  1. Any of the genus "Parmoptila" of tropical...

Ancestry of “antpecker”, step by step

antpecker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ȧnt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishȧnt
2Middle EnglishampteAn ant; a formicid; A mantid
3Old Englishǣmete
4Proto-West Germanicāmaitijāant
5Proto-West Germanicuʀ-out, over; off, away
6Proto-Germanicuz-up, out
7Proto-Indo-Europeanuss-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanuds-up, out
9Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English pecker

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpeckerSomeone who or something that pecks, striking or...
2Middle Englishpekker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd
antpecker — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer