Where does “wiretail” come from?

wiretail (English) comes from English wire, from Middle English wir, from Old English wīr, from English myrtle, from Old French myrte, from Latin myrtus, from Ancient Greek μύρτος, from Ancient Greek μυρίκη.

wiretail (English): Any of various damselflies of the genus Rhadinosticta

Definitions

Any of various damselflies of the genus Rhadinosticta

Ancestry of “wiretail”, step by step

wiretail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English wire

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	wire	Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now...
2	Middle English	wir	—
3	Old English	wīr	wire, metal thread, wire-ornament
4	English	myrtle	An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus...
5	Old French	myrte	—
6	Latin	myrtus	myrtle
7	Ancient Greek	μύρτος	myrtle; twig or spray of myrtle
8	Ancient Greek	μυρίκη	tamarisk
9	Ancient Greek	-ίκη	—

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

Every word from Ancient Greek -ίκη →Every word from Ancient Greek μυρίκη →Every word from Ancient Greek μύρτος →