Where does “eiderdown” come from?

eiderdown (English) comes from English Eider, from Swedish ejder, from Low German eider, from Icelandic æður, from Old Norse æðr, from Proto-Germanic ēþrō, from Proto-Indo-European ēt-er- — stomach, intestines.

eiderdown (English): The down of the eider duck, used for stuffing...

Definitions

  1. The down of the eider duck, used for stuffing...

Ancestry of “eiderdown”, step by step

eiderdown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Eider

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishEiderthe boundary between Schleswig and Holstein
2Swedishejdereider; common eider, the species "Somateria...
3Low Germaneider—
4Icelandicæðureider; vein; wadable
5Old Norseæðrvein; eider
6Proto-Germanicēþrōvein
7Proto-Indo-Europeanēt-er-stomach, intestines

via English Down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDownusually known as County Down
2Middle Englishdoundown
3Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
4Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ēt-er- →