Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bookwormy” come from?

bookwormy (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.

bookwormy (English): Like a bookworm; studious

Definitions

  1. Like a bookworm; studious

Ancestry of “bookwormy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbookwormAny of various insects that infest books; An avid...
2EnglishWorm—
3Middle EnglishwormA worm or similar small wormlike animal that...
4Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
5Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
6Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
7Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
10Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →