Where does “gráspæta” come from?

gráspæta (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic grár, from Old Norse grár, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.

gráspæta (Icelandic): grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus)

Definitions

  1. grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus)

Ancestry of “gráspæta”, step by step

gráspæta traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic grár

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicgrárgrey, gray
2Old Norsegrárgrey; spiteful
3Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

via Icelandic spæta

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicspætawoodpecker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grēwaz →Every word from Old Norse grár →