Where does “gnatwren” come from?
gnatwren (English) comes from English Gnat, from Middle English gnat, from Old English gnætt, from Proto-West Germanic *gnatt, from Proto-Germanic gnattaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰneHdʰn-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰen- — to gnaw; bite; scratch; grind; to gnaw; bite;...
gnatwren (English): Any of several birds of various genera in the family Polioptilidae which are browner and more thickset, and have proportionally shorter tails and longer bills, than their relatives the soft blue-grey gnatcatchers
Definitions
- Any of several birds of various genera in the family Polioptilidae which are browner and more thickset, and have proportionally shorter tails and longer bills, than their relatives the soft blue-grey gnatcatchers
Ancestry of “gnatwren”, step by step
gnatwren traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Gnat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Gnat | A type of jet fighter aircraft |
| 2 | Middle English | gnat | A gnat or similar insect; Something of little... |
| 3 | Old English | gnætt | a small flying insect or midge; gnat |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *gnatt | gnat, mosquito |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gnattaz | A bite or scratch; A biting insect; mosquito |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰneHdʰn- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰen- | to gnaw; bite; scratch; grind; to gnaw; bite;... |