Where does “stinkbug” come from?
stinkbug (English) comes from English stink, from Middle English stynken, from Old English stincan, from Proto-West Germanic *stinkwan, from Proto-Germanic stinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European stengʷ- — to push.
stinkbug (English): Any of several insects, usually shield-shaped,...
Definitions
- Any of several insects, usually shield-shaped,...
Ancestry of “stinkbug”, step by step
stinkbug traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stink
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stink | To have a strong bad smell; To be greatly... |
| 2 | Middle English | stynken | To emit a smell or stench; to stink; To be... |
| 3 | Old English | stincan | to smell; to stink |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *stinkwan | to stink |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stinkwaną | to hit; thrust; clash; to emit a smell; stink |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stengʷ- | to push |