Where does “whinchat” come from?

whinchat (English) comes from English chat, from English chatter, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti — he, she.

whinchat (English): A small Old World songbird, "Saxicola rubetra",...

Definitions

  1. A small Old World songbird, "Saxicola rubetra",...

Ancestry of “whinchat”, step by step

whinchat traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English chat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchatTo be engaged in informal conversation; To talk...
2EnglishchatterTalk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk;...
3English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
4Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
5Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
6Latin-ārefirst conjugation
7Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
11Chichewaiyehe, she

via English whin

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhinGorse; furze; The plant woad-waxen; Whinstone
2Middle EnglishwhynneGorse or a similar plant
3Old Norsehveinswampy land; gorse, furze; swamp, marsh
4Proto-Germanichwainō
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱweyn-to make dirty, soil; filth; mud; to soil; mud;...
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from English -erEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti