Where does “billygoatweed” come from?
billygoatweed (English) comes from English weed, from Middle English weed, from Old English wēod, from Proto-West Germanic *weud — weed (unwanted plant).
Ancestry of “billygoatweed”, step by step
billygoatweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English weed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | weed | Any plant regarded as unwanted at the place... |
| 2 | Middle English | weed | — |
| 3 | Old English | wēod | weed |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *weud | weed (unwanted plant) |
via English billygoat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | billygoat | — |