bluestem

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-
2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰleh₁-
3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰleh₁wos
4. Proto-Germanic*blēwaz
5. Proto-West Germanic*blā
6. Late Latinblāvus
7. Anglo-Normanble
8. Middle Englishblew
9. Englishblue
10. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
11. Proto-Indo-European*stéh₂mn̥
12. Proto-Indo-European*sth₂mnís
13. Proto-Germanic*stamniz
14. Proto-West Germanic*stamni
15. Old Englishstemn
16. Middle Englishstemme
17. Englishstem
18. English todaybluestem

From blue + stem.

First known use, by meaning

• from 19th c. Any of various grasses having bluish stems, including little bluestem and big bluestem, principally in tribe Andropogoneae.