Where does “spearfish” come from?

spearfish (English) comes from English Spear, from Middle English spere, from Old French sphere, from Latin sphēra, from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα, from Ancient Greek -ειδής, from Ancient Greek -ής, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

spearfish (English): Any of the marlins in the genus Tetrapturus, a...

Definitions

  1. Any of the marlins in the genus Tetrapturus, a...

Ancestry of “spearfish”, step by step

spearfish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Spear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSpearA long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion
2Middle EnglishspereA spear or lance; The Lance of Longinus; A barb...
3Old Frenchspheresphere shape
4Latinsphēra
5Ancient Greekσφαῖραball, globe, sphere
6Ancient Greek-ειδήςlike, connected to, from the nature of, full of;...
7Ancient Greek-ήςadjective suffix
8Proto-Indo-European-ēsPrimarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds
9Proto-Indo-European-ess
10Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English Fish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFishThe constellation and zodiacal sign Pisces
2Old Englishfiscianto fish
3Proto-West Germanicfiskōnto fish, to catch fish
4Proto-Germanicfiskōnąto fish, to catch fish
5Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -os