Where does “firedrake” come from?

firedrake (English) comes from Middle English firdrake, from Old English fȳrdraca, from Old English draca, from Old English andraca, from Proto-West Germanic anadrekō, from Proto-West Germanic anad, from Old Irish anaid, from Proto-Celtic anati — to breathe.

firedrake (English): A fire-breathing dragon; A fiery meteor, an ignis...

Definitions

  1. A fire-breathing dragon; A fiery meteor, an ignis...

Ancestry of “firedrake”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfirdrake
2Old Englishfȳrdracafire-spewing dragon
3Old Englishdracadragon
4Old Englishandracamale duck, drake
5Proto-West Germanicanadrekōmale duck, drake
6Proto-West Germanicanadduck
7Old Irishanaidto stay, remain; to wait; to resist, to withstand
8Proto-Celticanatito pause; to remain
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énh₁tito breathe
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁-to breathe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂énh₁tiEvery word from Proto-Celtic anati