redwing (English)
Where does "redwing" come from?
The name of the redwing thrush is a straightforward English compound, combining the words "red" and "wing" to describe its distinctive plumage. The word "red" traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁rewdʰ-, while "wing" likely shares a distant linguistic connection to the concept of wind, rooted in the Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁-. Together, they elegantly capture the bird's defining physical feature.
Full etymology tree
- redwing (English), 'A small thrush, Turdus iliacus, native to Eurasia, with a white eye stripe and red under-wing feathers.'
- compound red (English), 'A red light (a traffic signal)'
- inherited red (Middle English), 'counsel, advice, recommendation'
- inherited rēad (Old English), 'red'
- inherited *raud (Proto-West Germanic), 'red'
- inherited *raudaz (Proto-Germanic), 'red'
- inherited *h₁rowdʰós (Proto-Indo-European), 'red'
- compound *h₁rewdʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'red'
- compound *-ós (Proto-Indo-European), 'Forms possessive adjectives from nouns.'
- inherited *h₁rowdʰós (Proto-Indo-European), 'red'
- inherited *raudaz (Proto-Germanic), 'red'
- inherited *raud (Proto-West Germanic), 'red'
- inherited rēad (Old English), 'red'
- inherited red (Middle English), 'counsel, advice, recommendation'
- compound wing (English), 'An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.'
- inherited winge (Middle English), 'A wing (arm enabling flight; used in cooking and medicine).'
- borrowed vængr (Old Norse), 'wing'
- inherited *wēingijaz (Proto-Germanic)
- derived *h₂weh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to blow (of wind)'
- inherited *wēingijaz (Proto-Germanic)
- borrowed vængr (Old Norse), 'wing'
- inherited winge (Middle English), 'A wing (arm enabling flight; used in cooking and medicine).'
- compound red (English), 'A red light (a traffic signal)'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris