Where does “ostrich” come from?
Ostrich comes from Middle English ostrich, from Anglo-Norman ostrige, ultimately from Latin avis meaning bird, which derives from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwis.
ostrich (English): A large flightless bird native to Africa; One...
Definitions
- A large flightless bird native to Africa; One...
Ancestry of “ostrich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ostrich | ostrich; A goblet made of an ostrich egg; A... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | ostrige | ostrich |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | austruthio | — |
| 4 | Latin | strūthiō | ostrich |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | στρουθίων | Synonym of στρουθοκάμηλος; genitive plural of... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ίων | Suffix added to father's name that forms... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -ihō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -isō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yōs | Forms adjectives from roots, meaning "very" or... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yoss | — |