Where does “thistletail” come from?
thistletail (English) comes from English thistle, from Middle English þistel, from Old English þistel, from Proto-West Germanic *þistil, from Proto-Germanic þistilaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
thistletail (English): An ovenbird of the former genus Schizoeaca, now regarded as belonging to the genus Asthenes which also comprises canasteros
Definitions
- An ovenbird of the former genus Schizoeaca, now regarded as belonging to the genus Asthenes which also comprises canasteros
Ancestry of “thistletail”, step by step
thistletail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thistle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thistle | Any of several perennial composite plants,... |
| 2 | Middle English | þistel | Alternative form of thistel |
| 3 | Old English | þistel | thistle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *þistil | thistle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þistilaz | thistle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teyg- | to be sharp; to sting |
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 |