Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wall-pecker” come from?

wall-pecker (English) comes from German Mauerspecht, from German Mauer, from Middle High German mūre, from Old High German mūra, from Proto-West Germanic *mūrā, from Latin mūrus, from Old Latin moerus, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.

wall-pecker (English): A person who participated in bringing down the...

Definitions

  1. A person who participated in bringing down the...

Ancestry of “wall-pecker”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanMauerspechtwall-pecker
2GermanMauera wall, usually one made of stone or concrete
3Middle High Germanmūre—
4Old High Germanmūra—
5Proto-West Germanic*mūrā—
6Latinmūrus—
7Old Latinmoerus—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēy- →