Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wheatbird” come from?

wheatbird (English) comes from English wheat, from Middle English whete, from Old English hwǣte, from Proto-West Germanic hwaitī, from Proto-Germanic hwaitijaz, from Proto-Germanic hwītaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱweytos — bright; shine; shine; bright.

wheatbird (English): A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the...

Definitions

  1. A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the...

Ancestry of “wheatbird”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwheatAny of several cereal grains, of the genus...
2Middle EnglishwheteWheat; The grain resulting from wheat; corn; The...
3Old Englishhwǣtewheat
4Proto-West Germanichwaitīwheat
5Proto-Germanichwaitijazwheat
6Proto-Germanichwītazwhite
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱweytosbright; shine; shine; bright
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱweytos →