Etymology

protobird

P3R1O1T1O1B3I1R1D2

Today it means: Any of several extinct animals proposed as an evolutionary link between fossil reptiles and fossil birds; a proavian. Full definition →

English bird ← Middle English brid ← Old English bridd
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  4. Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
  5. Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
  6. Ancient Greekπρωτο- (prōto-)
  7. Englishproto-
  8. Old Englishbridd
  9. Middle Englishbrid
  10. Englishbird
  11. English todayprotobird

From proto- + bird.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.