Where does “hornworm” come from?
hornworm (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.
hornworm (English): A caterpillar of a hawk moth that has a hornlike...
Definitions
- A caterpillar of a hawk moth that has a hornlike...
Ancestry of “hornworm”, step by step
hornworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Worm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Worm | A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm |
| 2 | Middle English | worm | A worm or similar small wormlike animal that... |
| 3 | Old English | wyrm | creeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,... |
| 4 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via English horn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | horn | A hard growth of keratin that protrudes from the... |
| 2 | Middle English | horn | A horn; A jutting or projecting extremity of... |
| 3 | Old English | horn | horn; gable |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | horn | horn |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hurną | horn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |