Where does “skunkweed” come from?

skunkweed (English) comes from English weed, from Middle English weed, from Old English wēod, from Proto-West Germanic *weud — weed (unwanted plant).

skunkweed (English): Any of several American plants that have an...

Definitions

  1. Any of several American plants that have an...

Ancestry of “skunkweed”, step by step

skunkweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English weed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweedAny plant regarded as unwanted at the place...
2Middle Englishweed—
3Old Englishwēodweed
4Proto-West Germanic*weudweed (unwanted plant)

via English skunk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishskunkAny of various small mammals, of the family...
2Abenakisegôgwskunk
3Proto-Algonquianšeka·kwaskunk
4Proto-Algonquianšek-to urinate
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *weud →Every word from Old English wēod →Every word from Middle English weed →