Etymology Explorer › English

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

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →