Where does “Pfau” come from?

Pfau (German) comes from Middle English pawe, from Old French poue, from Frankish pōta, from Proto-Germanic putōną, from Proto-Indo-European bud- — to shoot, sprout; to swell.

Pfau (German): peacock; the constellation Pavo

Definitions

  1. peacock; the constellation Pavo

Ancestry of “Pfau”, step by step

Pfau traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English pawe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpawepaw; claw, talon; rough, vicious hand
2Old Frenchpoue—
3Frankishpōta—
4Proto-Germanicputōnąto stick, stab, poke; to push
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbud-to shoot, sprout; to swell

via Old High German pāwo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanpāwo—
2Proto-Germanicpāwôpeacock, peafowl
3Latinpāvōpeacock, peafowl; a bird associated with Argus and sacred to Hera or Juno; eaten as a delicacy
4Ancient Greekταώςpeacock; type of fish

Words derived from “Pfau”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bud- →Every word from Proto-Germanic putōną →Every word from Frankish pōta →