Where does “skunkbird” come from?
skunkbird (English) comes from English skunk, from Abenaki segôgw, from Proto-Algonquian šeka·kwa, from Proto-Algonquian šek- — to urinate.
skunkbird (English): The bobolink
Ancestry of “skunkbird”, step by step
skunkbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English skunk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | skunk | Any of various small mammals, of the family... |
| 2 | Abenaki | segôgw | skunk |
| 3 | Proto-Algonquian | šeka·kwa | skunk |
| 4 | Proto-Algonquian | šek- | to urinate |
via English bird
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bird | A member of the class of animals Aves in the... |
| 2 | Middle English | brid | a young bird, a bird in general; Alternative form... |
| 3 | Old English | bridd | young bird, chick; chicken |