Where does “reefgoby” come from?

reefgoby (English) comes from English reef, from English riff, from Middle English rif, from Old English hrif, from Proto-West Germanic hrif, from Proto-Germanic hrefaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep- — body.

reefgoby (English): Any of a number of the species of genus Priolepis of true goby

Definitions

  1. Any of a number of the species of genus Priolepis of true goby

Ancestry of “reefgoby”, step by step

reefgoby traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English reef

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishreefA chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying...
2EnglishriffA repeated instrumental melody line in a song; A...
3Middle Englishrif
4Old Englishhrifbody; womb; belly
5Proto-West Germanichrifwomb
6Proto-Germanichrefazbody; torso; stomach
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱrep-body

via English goby

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgobyAny of various small fish from the large family...
2LatinGobiusgudgeon (Gobio gobio and similar fish)
3Ancient Greekκωβιόςsort of fish of the gudgeon kind
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep-