Where does “bower bird” come from?
bower bird (English) comes from English bower, from German bauer, from German bauen, from Middle High German būwen, from Old High German būan, from Proto-West Germanic *būan, from Proto-Germanic būaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.
bower bird (English): Any of the family Ptilonorhynchidae of...
Definitions
- Any of the family Ptilonorhynchidae of...
Ancestry of “bower bird”, step by step
bower bird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bower
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bower | A bedroom or private apartments, especially for a... |
| 2 | German | bauer | farmer male or of unspecified gender |
| 3 | German | bauen | to build; to construct; to roll a joint; to rely |
| 4 | Middle High German | būwen | to build |
| 5 | Old High German | būan | to build |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *būan | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | būaną | to dwell, reside |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰuH- | to become, grow, appear |