Where does “greenshank” come from?

greenshank (English) comes from English shank, from Middle English schanke, from Middle High German schenken, from Old High German scenken, from Proto-West Germanic skankijan, from Proto-Germanic skankijaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kenǵ- — to limp.

greenshank (English): A wading bird, "Tringa nebularia", that has long...

Definitions

  1. A wading bird, "Tringa nebularia", that has long...

Ancestry of “greenshank”, step by step

greenshank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shank

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshankThe part of the leg between the knee and the...
2Middle Englishschankeleg, limb; shank, shin; leg fur
3Middle High Germanschenken
4Old High Germanscenkento pur in, give drink to, water
5Proto-West Germanicskankijanto pour
6Proto-Germanicskankijanąto skew, tilt, tip; to pour
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kenǵ-to limp

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kenǵ-Every word from Proto-Germanic skankijanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic skankijan