Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stiltbird” come from?

stiltbird (English) comes from English stilt, from Middle English stilte, from Old English stilte, from Proto-Germanic stiltijǭ, from Proto-Germanic stelt- — to be stiff.

stiltbird (English): The stilt, a wading bird

Definitions

  1. The stilt, a wading bird

Ancestry of “stiltbird”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstiltEither of two poles with footrests that allow...
2Middle Englishstilte—
3Old Englishstilte—
4Proto-Germanicstiltijǭ—
5Proto-Germanicstelt-to be stiff
Every word from Proto-Germanic stelt- →