Where does “roadrunner” come from?
roadrunner (English) comes from English runner, from English run, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti — he, she.
roadrunner (English): Either of two species of bird in the genus...
Definitions
- Either of two species of bird in the genus...
Ancestry of “roadrunner”, step by step
roadrunner traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English runner
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | runner | Agent noun of run; one who runs; A quick escape... |
| 2 | English | run | To move swiftly; To flow; To sail before the... |
| 3 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 4 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 5 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 6 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English road
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | road | A way used for travelling between places,... |
| 2 | Middle English | rode | A cross or gibbet; The cross of Christ; The cross... |
| 3 | Old English | rād | road; riding, hostile incursion; riding, road |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | raidu | riding, ride |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | raidō | ride, journey; name of the R-rune |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rīdaną | to ride |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | rēydʰ- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |
via Spanish correcaminos
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | correcaminos | roadrunner |
| 2 | Spanish | camino | way, route; road; path |
| 3 | Old Spanish | camino | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | camminus | way |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | kanxsman- | — |