Where does “penguin” come from?
Penguin is a Welsh word of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle Welsh penn, Proto-Celtic windos, Proto-Celtic kʷennom, and Proto-Indo-European weyd-.
penguin (English): Any of several flightless sea birds, of order...
Definitions
- Any of several flightless sea birds, of order...
Ancestry of “penguin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Welsh | gwyn | white; blessed |
| 2 | Proto-Brythonic | gwɨnn | white |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | windos | white |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | windo- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
Words derived from “penguin”