Where does “peacocking” come from?

peacocking (English) comes from English ing, from Middle English ing, from Old English ing, from Old Norse eng, from Proto-Germanic angijō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énkos, from Proto-Indo-European -os — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

peacocking (English): Ostentatious dress or behaviour employed by a man...

Definitions

  1. Ostentatious dress or behaviour employed by a man...

Ancestry of “peacocking”, step by step

peacocking traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ing

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishingA meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;...
2Middle Englishing
3Old Englishingmeadow, water meadow, ing
4Old Norseengmeadow
5Proto-GermanicangijōA low lying meadow in a valley or near a river
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énkoscurve, bend
7Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English Peacock

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPeacockA male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail
2Middle EnglishpecokThe peacock or its meat
3Old Englishpāwapeacock
4Proto-Germanicpāwôpeacock, peafowl
5Latinpāvōpeacock, peafowl; a bird associated with Argus and sacred to Hera or Juno; eaten as a delicacy
6Ancient Greekταώςpeacock; type of fish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -os