Where does “pingvin” come from?
pingvin (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from French pingouin, from Dutch pinguïn, from English penguin, from Welsh gwyn, from Proto-Brythonic gwɨnn, from Proto-Celtic windos, from Proto-Indo-European windo-, from Proto-Indo-European weyd- — to see.
pingvin (Norwegian Bokmål): a penguin
Ancestry of “pingvin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | pingouin | auk, razorbill; penguin |
| 2 | Dutch | pinguïn | A penguin, flightless marine bird of the order... |
| 3 | English | penguin | Any of several flightless sea birds, of order... |
| 4 | Welsh | gwyn | white; blessed |
| 5 | Proto-Brythonic | gwɨnn | white |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | windos | white |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | windo- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |