Where does “wagtail” come from?
wagtail (English) comes from English WAG, from Old Norse vága, from Middle Low German wāgen, from Old Saxon wagan, from Proto-West Germanic wagn, from Proto-Germanic wagnaz, from Proto-Indo-European woǵʰnos, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.
wagtail (English): Any of various small passerine birds of the...
Definitions
- Any of various small passerine birds of the...
Ancestry of “wagtail”, step by step
wagtail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English WAG
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | WAG | A wild-assed guess; a rough estimate; A wife or... |
| 2 | Old Norse | vága | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | wāgen | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | wagan | wagon, carriage |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wagn | cart, wagon |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wagnaz | cart, wagon |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | woǵʰnos | wagon, primitive carriage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |
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 |