Where does “lesser roadrunner” come from?
lesser roadrunner (English) comes from English roadrunner, from English runner, from English run, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō — he, she.
lesser roadrunner (English): A bird native to Central America, Geococcyx velox
Definitions
- A bird native to Central America, Geococcyx velox
Ancestry of “lesser roadrunner”, step by step
lesser roadrunner traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English roadrunner
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | roadrunner | Either of two species of bird in the genus... |
| 2 | English | runner | Agent noun of run; one who runs; A quick escape... |
| 3 | English | run | To move swiftly; To flow; To sail before the... |
| 4 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 5 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 6 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 7 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English lesser
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lesser | Of two (or, rarely, more than two) things: the smaller in size (littler), in value, in importance etc |
| 2 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 3 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 4 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |