Where does “bookwormism” come from?
bookwormism (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.
bookwormism (English): The habits of a bookworm; avid enthusiasm for books
Definitions
- The habits of a bookworm; avid enthusiasm for books
Ancestry of “bookwormism”, step by step
bookwormism 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 ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |