English
greenshank
From green + shank.
Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow’
…
Proto-Germanic *grōniz
Proto-West Germanic *grōnī
Old English grēne
Middle English grene
English green
Proto-Indo-European *(s)keng- ‘to hobble, limp’
Proto-Germanic *skankô
Proto-West Germanic *skankō ‘thigh, shank’
Old English sċanca ‘leg’
Middle English sceonke
English shank
Today it means
noun A wading bird, Tringa nebularia, that has long greenish legs and is native to Eurasia.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / greenshank