Where does “headroach” come from?

headroach (English) comes from English roach, from Middle English roche, from Old French roche, from Persian رخ, from Middle Persian lhw', from Sanskrit रथ, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hrátʰas, from Proto-Indo-European Hrót-h₂-os — to roll; wheel; to run, roll.

Ancestry of “headroach”, step by step

headroach traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English roach

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishroachCertain members of the fish family Cyprinidae,...
2Middle Englishroche
3Old Frenchrocherock
4Persianرخrook; cheek; face
5Middle Persianlhw'rook, castle
6Sanskritरथchariot, car, especially a two-wheeled...
7Proto-Indo-IranianHrátʰaschariot
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrót-h₂-os
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanHret-to roll; wheel; to run, roll

via English head

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishheadThe part of the body of an animal or human which...
2English-yAdded to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives...
3Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
4Old English-iġ-y, -ic
5Proto-West Germanic-gForms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a...
6Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
7Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hret-
headroach — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer