Where does “nightfowl” come from?
nightfowl (English) comes from English fowl, from Middle English foul, from Old English fuġol, from Proto-West Germanic fugl, from Proto-Germanic fuglaz, from Proto-Germanic fluglaz, from Proto-Germanic fleuganą, from Proto-Indo-European plewk- — to fly, flow, run.
nightfowl (English): Any of various birds active during the nighttime or associated with night; a nocturnal bird
Definitions
- Any of various birds active during the nighttime or associated with night; a nocturnal bird
Ancestry of “nightfowl”, step by step
nightfowl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fowl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fowl | A bird; A bird of the order Galliformes,... |
| 2 | Middle English | foul | Alternative form of fole; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | fuġol | bird |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fugl | bird |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fuglaz | bird |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fluglaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fleuganą | to fly |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
via English night
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | night | The period between sunset and sunrise, when a... |
| 2 | Middle English | nyght | Alternative form of nighte; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Middle English | nighte | night |
| 4 | Old English | nyht | Alternative form of niht |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | naht | night |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nahts | night |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | nókʷts | night |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷ- | bare, naked |