Where does “pigweed” come from?

pigweed (English) comes from English weed, from Middle English weed, from Old English wēod, from Proto-West Germanic *weud — weed (unwanted plant).

pigweed (English): Any of various weedy plants sometimes used as pig...

Definitions

  1. Any of various weedy plants sometimes used as pig...

Ancestry of “pigweed”, step by step

pigweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English weed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweedAny plant regarded as unwanted at the place...
2Middle Englishweed
3Old Englishwēodweed
4Proto-West Germanic*weudweed (unwanted plant)

via English pig

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpigAny of several intelligent mammalian species of...
2Middle EnglishpiggeA piglet or young pig; A pig irrespective of age;...
3Old Englishpicgaa young pig; piglet
4Proto-West Germanicpiggōpig
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *weudEvery word from Old English wēodEvery word from Middle English weed