Where does “greylag” come from?
greylag (English) comes from English Grey, from Middle English grey, from Old English grǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.
greylag (English): A large grey European goose, "Anser anser", with...
Definitions
- A large grey European goose, "Anser anser", with...
Ancestry of “greylag”, step by step
greylag traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Grey
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Grey | A member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry... |
| 2 | Middle English | grey | grey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey |
| 3 | Old English | grǣġ | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *grāu | grey |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grēwaz | grey |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰreh₁- | to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow |
via English LAG
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | LAG | Loose and aggressive |