Where does “Mistelfresser” come from?

Mistelfresser (German) comes from German Fresser, from German fressen, from Middle High German vrëȥȥen, from Old High German frëȥȥan, from Proto-Germanic *fraetan, from Proto-Germanic fraetaną, from Proto-Germanic etaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₁édti — to eat.

Mistelfresser (German): flowerpecker

Definitions

  1. flowerpecker

Ancestry of “Mistelfresser”, step by step

Mistelfresser traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Fresser

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanFresseragent noun of fressen; an animal that eats; A...
2Germanfressento eat; to feed on; to devour; to stuff oneself;...
3Middle High Germanvrëȥȥen
4Old High Germanfrëȥȥan
5Proto-Germanic*fraetan
6Proto-Germanicfraetanąto devour, eat up, consume
7Proto-Germanicetanąto eat
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁édtito eat
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

via German mistel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmistelmistletoe
2Middle High Germanmistel
3Old High Germanmistil
4Proto-West Germanicmistilmistletoe
5Proto-Germanicmistilazmistletoe
6Proto-Indo-Europeansed-to sit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed-