Where does “jollytail” come from?

jollytail (English) comes from English jolly, from Middle English joli, from Old French joli, from Old French jolif, from Old French -if, from Latin -īvus, from Proto-Indo-European -iHwós, from Proto-Indo-European -wós — Creates adjectives from verb stems.

jollytail (English): Galaxias maculatus (common galaxias), a freshwater fish with a marine larval stage, found from western Australia to the Falkland Islands

Definitions

  1. Galaxias maculatus (common galaxias), a freshwater fish with a marine larval stage, found from western Australia to the Falkland Islands

Ancestry of “jollytail”, step by step

jollytail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English jolly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishjollyFull of merriment and high spirits; jovial; Full...
2Middle Englishjoli
3Old Frenchjolipretty; cute
4Old Frenchjolifpretty; attractive
5Old French-if-ive
6Latin-īvusAdjective suffix
7Proto-Indo-European-iHwós
8Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

via English Tail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTailA Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon
2Middle EnglishtaylA tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A...
3Old Englishtæġltail
4Proto-Germanictagląhair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail
5Proto-Indo-Europeandoḱ-hair of the tail
6Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós
jollytail — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer