Where does “Gänsesäger” come from?

Gänsesäger (German) comes from German Säger, from German sägen, from Middle High German sagen, from Old High German sagēn, from Proto-West Germanic saggjan, from Proto-Germanic sagjaną, from Proto-Indo-European sokʷ-h₁-yé-, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.

Gänsesäger (German): common merganser

Definitions

  1. common merganser

Ancestry of “Gänsesäger”, step by step

Gänsesäger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Säger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSägersayer, one who says
2Germansägento saw
3Middle High Germansagento say
4Old High Germansagēnto say
5Proto-West Germanicsaggjanto say
6Proto-Germanicsagjanąto say
7Proto-Indo-Europeansokʷ-h₁-yé-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

via German Gänse

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGänseplural of Gans
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European sokʷ-h₁-yé- →Every word from Proto-Germanic sagjaną →