Where does “bladderworm” come from?

bladderworm (English) comes from English Worm, from Middle English worm, from Old English wyrm, from Old English lēah, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ- — bright; to shine; to see.

bladderworm (English): A bladderlike larva of a tapeworm

Definitions

  1. A bladderlike larva of a tapeworm

Ancestry of “bladderworm”, step by step

bladderworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Worm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWormA generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm
2Middle EnglishwormA worm or similar small wormlike animal that...
3Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
4Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
5Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
6Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see

via English bladder

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbladderA flexible sac that can expand and contract and...
2Middle EnglishbladdreThe bladder; Any other bladder or sac; often used...
3Old Englishblæddre
4Proto-West Germanicblādrābladder
5Proto-Germanicblēdrǭbladder
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₁dʰreh₂(n)
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk-