Where does “firdrake” come from?
firdrake (Middle English) comes from Old English fȳrdraca, from Old English draca, from Old English andraca, from Proto-West Germanic anadrekō, from Proto-West Germanic anad, from Old Irish anaid, from Proto-Celtic anati, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énh₁ti — to breathe.
Ancestry of “firdrake”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | fȳrdraca | fire-spewing dragon |
| 2 | Old English | draca | dragon |
| 3 | Old English | andraca | male duck, drake |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | anadrekō | male duck, drake |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | anad | duck |
| 6 | Old Irish | anaid | to stay, remain; to wait; to resist, to withstand |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | anati | to pause; to remain |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énh₁ti | to breathe |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁- | to breathe |