Where does “taildragger” come from?

taildragger (English) comes from English dragger, from English drag, from Yiddish טראָגן, from Middle High German tragen, from Old High German tragan, from Proto-Germanic dragan, from Proto-Germanic draganą, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreǵ- — pull, draw, drag; to glide, swoop; to draw, glide.

taildragger (English): an aircraft with a wheel behind the main landing...

Definitions

  1. an aircraft with a wheel behind the main landing...

Ancestry of “taildragger”, step by step

taildragger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English dragger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdraggerSomething that drags; A trawler; One who takes...
2EnglishdragResistance of a fluid to something moving through...
3Yiddishטראָגןcarry; wear
4Middle High Germantragento bear, to carry
5Old High Germantraganto bear; to bear fruit
6Proto-Germanicdragan
7Proto-Germanicdraganąto draw, to pull, to carry
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreǵ-pull, draw, drag; to glide, swoop; to draw, glide

via English Tail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTailA Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon
2Middle EnglishtaylA tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A...
3Old Englishtæġltail
4Proto-Germanictagląhair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail
5Proto-Indo-Europeandoḱ-hair of the tail
6Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰreǵ-