Where does “Zebrafink” come from?

Zebrafink (German) comes from German Fink, from Middle High German vinke, from Old High German finco, from Proto-Germanic finkô, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ping- — small bird, sparrow.

Zebrafink (German): zebra finch

Definitions

  1. zebra finch

Ancestry of “Zebrafink”, step by step

Zebrafink traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Fink

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanFinkfinch
2Middle High Germanvinke—
3Old High GermanfincoA finch
4Proto-Germanicfinkôfinch
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ping-small bird, sparrow

via German Zebra

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZebrazebra
2Portuguesezebrazebra
3Old Portuguesezevrostupid, uncouth; a now-extinct species of...
4Old PortugueseezevroAlternative form of zevro
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ping- →Every word from Proto-Germanic finkô →Every word from Old High German finco →