Where does “bullsnake” come from?

bullsnake (English) comes from English snake, from Middle English snake, from Old English snaca, from Proto-Germanic snakô, from Proto-Germanic snakaną, from Proto-Indo-European sneg- — to crawl, creeping thing.

bullsnake (English): Pituophis catenifer sayi, a large non-venomous...

Definitions

  1. Pituophis catenifer sayi, a large non-venomous...

Ancestry of “bullsnake”, step by step

bullsnake traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English snake

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsnakeA legless reptile of the sub-order Serpentes with...
2Middle Englishsnakesnake; serpent
3Old Englishsnacasnake
4Proto-Germanicsnakôsnake
5Proto-Germanicsnakanąto crawl
6Proto-Indo-Europeansneg-to crawl, creeping thing

via English Bull

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBullThe constellation and zodiacal sign Taurus
2Middle Englishbullfalsehood
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sneg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic snakaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic snakô →
bullsnake — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer