Where does “silversword” come from?

silversword (English) comes from English sword, from Middle English sword, from Old English sword, from Old English sweord, from Proto-Germanic swerdą, from Proto-Indo-European swēr- — heavy.

silversword (English): Any member of the genus Argyroxiphium of flowering plants native to Hawaii, with long, narrow leaves sometimes covered in silvery hairs

Definitions

  1. Any member of the genus Argyroxiphium of flowering plants native to Hawaii, with long, narrow leaves sometimes covered in silvery hairs

Ancestry of “silversword”, step by step

silversword traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English sword

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswordA long-bladed weapon with a hilt, and usually a...
2Middle Englishswordsword, sabre; Military might or power
3Old EnglishswordAlternative form of sweord
4Old Englishsweorda sword
5Proto-Germanicswerdąsword
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswēr-heavy

via English Silver

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSilverfor a silversmith or a rich man, or for someone having silvery gray hair or living by a silvery brook
2GermanSilbersilver; argent
3Middle High Germansilber—
4Old High Germansilbarsilver
5Proto-West Germanic*silubrsilver
6Proto-Germanicsilubrąsilver
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swerdą →Every word from Old English sweord →