Where does “greenfinch” come from?

greenfinch (English) comes from English Green, from Middle English grene, from Old English grēne, from Proto-West Germanic grōnī, from Proto-Germanic grōniz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.

greenfinch (English): Any of five distinct species of bird formerly...

Definitions

  1. Any of five distinct species of bird formerly...

Ancestry of “greenfinch”, step by step

greenfinch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Green

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGreenOf, or pertaining, to a Green Party or green...
2Middle Englishgrenegreen
3Old Englishgrēnegreen
4Proto-West Germanicgrōnīgreen
5Proto-Germanicgrōnizgreen
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

via English finch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfinchAny bird of the family Fringillidae, seed-eating...
2Middle Englishfynchfinch
3Old Englishfinċfinch
4Proto-Germanicfinkizfinch
5Proto-Indo-European(s)pingoschaffinch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grōniz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic grōnī →