Where does “mossbanker” come from?
mossbanker (English) comes from Dutch marsbanker, from Dutch bank, from Italian banco, from Old High German bank, from Proto-West Germanic banki, from Proto-Germanic bankiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- — to break.
mossbanker (English): A fish, the menhaden
Ancestry of “mossbanker”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | marsbanker | scad, Atlantic horse mackerel, Trachurus... |
| 2 | Dutch | bank | bench; couch, sofa; place where seashells are... |
| 3 | Italian | banco | desk; counter; bench, table |
| 4 | Old High German | bank | bench |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | banki | bench |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bankiz | a raised surface; bulge; hillock; slope; bench |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeg- | to break |