Where does “waxbird” come from?

waxbird (English) comes from English wax, from Middle English wax, from Old English weax, from Proto-West Germanic wahs, from Proto-Germanic wahsą, from Proto-Indo-European woḱ-so-.

waxbird (English): A bird, the waxwing

Definitions

  1. A bird, the waxwing

Ancestry of “waxbird”, step by step

waxbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English wax

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwaxBeeswax; Earwax; Any oily, water-resistant...
2Middle Englishwaxwax beeswax, sealing wax, etc
3Old Englishweaxwax
4Proto-West Germanicwahs
5Proto-Germanicwahsąwax
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwoḱ-so-

via English bird

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbirdA member of the class of animals Aves in the...
2Middle Englishbrida young bird, a bird in general; Alternative form...
3Old Englishbriddyoung bird, chick; chicken
Every word from Proto-Indo-European woḱ-so-Every word from Proto-Germanic wahsąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic wahs