Where does “thick-knee” come from?

thick-knee (English) comes from English knee, from Middle English knē, from Old English cnēo, from Proto-West Germanic kneu, from Proto-Germanic knewą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵnéwo-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵónu — knee.

thick-knee (English): Any of several species of large terrestrial birds...

Definitions

  1. Any of several species of large terrestrial birds...

Ancestry of “thick-knee”, step by step

thick-knee traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English knee

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishkneeIn humans, the joint or the region of the joint...
2Middle EnglishknēThe knee or a similar joint in other animals
3Old Englishcnēogeneration
4Proto-West Germanickneuknee
5Proto-Germanicknewąknee
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵnéwo-knee
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵónuknee

via English thick

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthickRelatively great in extent from one surface to...
2Middle EnglishthikkeAlternative form of thicke
3Old Englishþiccethick
4Proto-West Germanicþikkwīthick
5Proto-Germanicþekuzthick
6Proto-Indo-Europeantégusthick
7Proto-Indo-Europeanteg-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵónu →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵnéwo- →Every word from Proto-Germanic knewą →
thick-knee — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer