Where does “swampwatcher” come from?
swampwatcher (English) comes from English swamp, from Middle English swam, from Old English swamm, from Proto-Germanic *swammaz, from Proto-Indo-European swombh- — sponge, tree-fungus, swamp.
swampwatcher (English): A species of libellulid dragonfly, Potamarcha congener, of Southeast Asia and northeastern Australia
Definitions
- A species of libellulid dragonfly, Potamarcha congener, of Southeast Asia and northeastern Australia
Ancestry of “swampwatcher”, step by step
swampwatcher traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English swamp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | swamp | A piece of wet, spongy land; low ground saturated... |
| 2 | Middle English | swam | swamp, muddy pool, bog, marsh", also "fungus,... |
| 3 | Old English | swamm | mushroom, fungus; sponge; first/third-person... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *swammaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | swombh- | sponge, tree-fungus, swamp |