Where does “hawfinch” come from?
hawfinch (English) comes from English Haw, from Old English haga, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją — to see.
hawfinch (English): A large Eurasian finch, "Coccothraustes...
Definitions
- A large Eurasian finch, "Coccothraustes...
Ancestry of “hawfinch”, step by step
hawfinch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Haw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Haw | A river in the US state of North Carolina |
| 2 | Old English | haga | an enclosure, a fenced-in area, a yard |
| 3 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 4 | German | witz | joke |
| 5 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 6 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |