Where does “earwig” come from?
earwig (English) comes from Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from Old English ēare, from Proto-West Germanic auʀā, from Proto-Germanic ausô, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ṓws, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew- — to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be...
earwig (English): Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera...
Definitions
- Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera...
Ancestry of “earwig”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erwigge | earwig |
| 2 | Old English | ēarwicga | — |
| 3 | Old English | ēare | ear |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | auʀā | ear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ausô | ear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ṓws | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew- | to enjoy; to consume; to perceive, see, to be... |
Words derived from “earwig”