Where does “tailfeather” come from?
tailfeather (English) comes from English feather, from German feder, from Middle High German vëdere, from Old High German fedara, from Proto-West Germanic feþru, from Proto-Germanic feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
tailfeather (English): Any of the feathers of a bird's tail
Definitions
- Any of the feathers of a bird's tail
Ancestry of “tailfeather”, step by step
tailfeather traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English feather
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | feather | A branching, hair-like structure that grows on... |
| 2 | German | feder | feather |
| 3 | Middle High German | vëdere | feather |
| 4 | Old High German | fedara | feather |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | feþru | feather |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | feþrō | feather |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
via English Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |