Where does “glimworm” come from?
glimworm (Dutch) comes from Dutch worm, from Middle Dutch worm, from Old Dutch wurm, from Proto-West Germanic wurmi, from Proto-Germanic wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
glimworm (Dutch): A firefly, beetle of the family Lampyridae,...
Definitions
- A firefly, beetle of the family Lampyridae,...
Ancestry of “glimworm”, step by step
glimworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch worm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | worm | worm, vernacular term for various, mostly legless... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | worm | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | wurm | worm |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wurmi | worm; serpent, snake |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wurmiz | worm; serpent, snake |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wr̥mis | worm |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |