Where does “kingfisher” come from?
Kingfisher derives from English king and English fisher, with king tracing to Old English cyning, from Proto-Germanic kuningaz, and fisher from Old English fiscere, from Proto-Germanic fiskārijaz.
kingfisher (English): Any of various birds of the suborder Alcedines (or the family Alcedinidae sensu lato), having a large head, short tail and brilliant colouration; they feed mostly on fish
Definitions
- Any of various birds of the suborder Alcedines (or the family Alcedinidae sensu lato), having a large head, short tail and brilliant colouration; they feed mostly on fish
Ancestry of “kingfisher”, step by step
kingfisher traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English king
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | king | A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy. If... |
| 2 | Middle English | king | king monarch |
| 3 | Old English | cyning | king |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |