Where does “meelworm” come from?
meelworm (Dutch) comes from Dutch meel, from Middle Dutch mēle, from Old Dutch melo, from Proto-West Germanic melu, from Proto-Germanic melwą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
meelworm (Dutch): mealworm
Definitions
- mealworm
Ancestry of “meelworm”, step by step
meelworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch meel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | meel | flour, meal, farina |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | mēle | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | melo | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | melu | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | melwą | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
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 |