Where does “fishtail” come from?

fishtail (English) comes from English tail, from Middle English tail, from Middle English tayl, from Old English tæġl, from Proto-Germanic taglą, from Proto-Indo-European doḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- — take; perceive.

fishtail (English): The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this;...

Definitions

  1. The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this;...

Ancestry of “fishtail”, step by step

fishtail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtailThe caudal appendage of an animal that is...
2Middle EnglishtailAlternative form of tayl
3Middle EnglishtaylA tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A...
4Old Englishtæġltail
5Proto-Germanictagląhair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail
6Proto-Indo-Europeandoḱ-hair of the tail
7Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive

via English fish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfishA cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in...
2Middle EnglishfischAn animal that inhabits the water or the meat of...
3Old Englishfisċfish
4Proto-West Germanicfiskfish
5Proto-Germanicfiskazfish
6Indo-European*peysk-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deḱ-