Where does “yellowtail” come from?

yellowtail (English) comes from English yellow, from Middle English yelow, from Old English ġeolu, from Proto-West Germanic gelu, from Proto-Germanic gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

yellowtail (English): Having a yellow tail; Yellowtail amberjack; A...

Definitions

  1. Having a yellow tail; Yellowtail amberjack; A...

Ancestry of “yellowtail”, step by step

yellowtail traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English yellow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishyellowHaving yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
2Middle Englishyelowyellow, yellowish, gold; yellow-coloured;...
3Old Englishġeoluyellow
4Proto-West Germanicgeluyellow
5Proto-Germanicgelwazyellow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃wósyellow, green
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

via English Tail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTailA Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon
2Middle EnglishtaylA tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A...
3Old Englishtæġltail
4Proto-Germanictagląhair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail
5Proto-Indo-Europeandoḱ-hair of the tail
6Proto-Indo-Europeandeḱ-take; perceive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃-
yellowtail — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer