Where does “rainbird” come from?

rainbird (English) comes from English rain, from Middle English reyn, from Old English reġn, from Proto-West Germanic regn, from Proto-Germanic regną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreǵ- — to flow.

rainbird (English): Any of the coucal species Centropus...

Definitions

  1. Any of the coucal species Centropus...

Ancestry of “rainbird”, step by step

rainbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rain

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrainCondensed water falling from a cloud; Any matter...
2Middle Englishreynrain water falling from a cloud
3Old Englishreġnrain
4Proto-West Germanicregnrain
5Proto-Germanicregnąrain
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreǵ-to flow

via English bird

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbirdA member of the class of animals Aves in the...
2Middle Englishbrida young bird, a bird in general; Alternative form...
3Old Englishbriddyoung bird, chick; chicken
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreǵ- →