Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nutpecker” come from?

nutpecker (English) comes from English Nut, from Middle English note, from Old English notu, from Proto-Germanic nutō, from Proto-Indo-European newd- — to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to...

nutpecker (English): The nuthatch

Definitions

  1. The nuthatch

Ancestry of “nutpecker”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNut—
2Middle Englishnotenote; Alternative form of not
3Old Englishnotuuse; enjoyment; profit, advantage, utility
4Proto-Germanicnutōuse, profit, yield
5Proto-Indo-Europeannewd-to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European newd- →