Where does “inchworm” come from?
inchworm (English) comes from English inch, from Middle English ynche, from Old English ynċe, from Germanic *unciju, from Latin uncia, from Old French lonce, from Italian lonza, from Vulgar Latin luncea — to turn.
inchworm (English): The larva of a moth of the family Geometridae; To...
Definitions
- The larva of a moth of the family Geometridae; To...
Ancestry of “inchworm”, step by step
inchworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English inch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | inch | A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot,... |
| 2 | Middle English | ynche | An inch; A tiny quantity |
| 3 | Old English | ynċe | inch |
| 4 | Germanic | *unciju | — |
| 5 | Latin | uncia | The twelfth part of something; twelfth; The... |
| 6 | Old French | lonce | lynx |
| 7 | Italian | lonza | loin of pork; a term used in the Middle Ages to... |
| 8 | Vulgar Latin | luncea | — |
| 9 | Latin | lynx | A lynx |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | λύγξ | lynx; hiccup |
| 11 | Latin | canadensis | Canadian |
| 12 | Latin | -ensis | Of or from |
| 13 | Latin | arvum | field; farm land |
| 14 | Latin | colō | to cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden |
| 15 | Latin | quelō | — |
| 16 | Proto-Italic | kʷelō | to inhabit |
| 17 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷéleti | — |
| 18 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |
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 |