Where does “pintail” come from?

pintail (English) comes from English Tail, from Middle English tayl, from Old English tæġl, from Proto-Germanic taglą, from Proto-Indo-European doḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- — take; perceive.

pintail (English): A pintail duck, a type of dabbling duck with a...

Definitions

  1. A pintail duck, a type of dabbling duck with a...

Ancestry of “pintail”, step by step

pintail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Tail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTailA Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon
2Middle EnglishtaylA tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A...
3Old Englishtæġltail
4Proto-Germanictagląhair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail
5Proto-Indo-Europeandoḱ-hair of the tail
6Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive

via English PIN

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPINAcronym of personal identification number;...
2Middle Englishpinne
3Old Englishpinnpin; peg; an instrument of writing; pen
4Proto-Germanicpinnazpin
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbend-point, pin; peg, tip, protruding point, edge;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deḱ-
pintail — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer