Where does “stinkbush” come from?

stinkbush (English) comes from English Bush, from Middle English bush, from Old English busċ, from Latin bosca, from Late Latin busca, from Proto-West Germanic busk, from Proto-Germanic buskaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

stinkbush (English): star anise plant

Definitions

  1. star anise plant

Ancestry of “stinkbush”, step by step

stinkbush traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Bush

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBushA place name
2Middle Englishbushgrove, wood; thicket, underbrush; bush; branch of...
3Old Englishbusċ
4Latinboscafirewood
5Late Latinbusca
6Proto-West Germanicbuskbush, thicket
7Proto-Germanicbuskazbush; thicket
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

via English stink

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstinkTo have a strong bad smell; To be greatly...
2Middle EnglishstynkenTo emit a smell or stench; to stink; To be...
3Old Englishstincanto smell; to stink
4Proto-West Germanic*stinkwanto stink
5Proto-Germanicstinkwanąto hit; thrust; clash; to emit a smell; stink
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstengʷ-to push
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-Every word from Proto-Germanic buskazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic busk
stinkbush — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer