Where does “sharptail” come from?
sharptail (English) comes from English sharp, from Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic skarp, from Proto-Germanic skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerb-, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
sharptail (English): The pintail duck; The pintail grouse, or prairie...
Definitions
- The pintail duck; The pintail grouse, or prairie...
Ancestry of “sharptail”, step by step
sharptail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sharp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sharp | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one... |
| 2 | Middle English | scharp | sharp |
| 3 | Old English | sċearp | sharp |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
via English Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |