Where does “swellshark” come from?

swellshark (English) comes from English swell, from Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan, from Proto-West Germanic *swellan, from Proto-Germanic swellaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel- — to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

swellshark (English): Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, a catshark of the...

Definitions

  1. Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, a catshark of the...

Ancestry of “swellshark”, step by step

swellshark traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English swell

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswellTo become bigger, especially due to being...
2Middle EnglishswellenTo swell; to grow or become bigger or stronger;...
3Old Englishswellanto swell
4Proto-West Germanic*swellan
5Proto-Germanicswellanąto swell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

via English shark

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsharkA scaleless, predatory fish of the superorder...
2GermanSchurkevillain, scoundrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel-Every word from Proto-Germanic swellanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic *swellan