Where does “riflebird” come from?
riflebird (English) comes from English rifle, from Old French rifler, from German riffeln, from German riffilōn, from Proto-Germanic rīfaną, from Proto-Indo-European rēy- — thing; possession; to regulate, count; to count,...
riflebird (English): Any of four species of birds of paradise in the...
Definitions
- Any of four species of birds of paradise in the...
Ancestry of “riflebird”, step by step
riflebird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rifle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rifle | A shouldered firearm with a long, rifled barrel... |
| 2 | Old French | rifler | to scrape off, tear off, flay; to plane, shave;... |
| 3 | German | riffeln | to groove; to ripple |
| 4 | German | riffilōn | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rīfaną | to tear, rend |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | rēy- | thing; possession; to regulate, count; to count,... |