Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gibberbird” come from?

gibberbird (English) comes from English gibber, from English GIB, from English give, from English foregive, from English fore-, from English Fore, from German Fahr, from German Fähre — passed , crossed.

gibberbird (English): An Australian chat , of the genus "Ashbyia", that...

Definitions

  1. An Australian chat , of the genus "Ashbyia", that...

Ancestry of “gibberbird”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgibberGibberish, unintelligible speech; To jabber, talk...
2EnglishGIB—
3EnglishgiveTo move, shift, provide something abstract or...
4EnglishforegiveTo give ahead of time; give in advance
5Englishfore-Positioned at or near the front; Before; ahead or...
6EnglishForeA people of Papua New Guinea
7GermanFahr—
8GermanFähreferry
9Middle High Germanverren—
10Old High Germanferranafrom afar
11Old High Germanferroafar; skipper
12Proto-West Germanic*ferrō—
13Proto-Germanicferraifar, distant
14Proto-Indo-Europeanper-nóy—
15Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
16Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →