Where does “bookwormish” come from?
bookwormish (English) comes from English bookworm, 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 — bright; to shine; to see.
bookwormish (English): Like a bookworm
Definitions
- Like a bookworm
Ancestry of “bookwormish”, step by step
bookwormish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bookworm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bookworm | Any of various insects that infest books; An avid... |
| 2 | English | Worm | A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm |
| 3 | Middle English | worm | A worm or similar small wormlike animal that... |
| 4 | Old English | wyrm | creeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,... |
| 5 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |