Where does “itchweed” come from?

itchweed (English) comes from English weed, from Middle English weed, from Old English wēod, from Proto-West Germanic *weud — weed (unwanted plant).

itchweed (English): "Veratrum viride", a toxic North American plant

Definitions

  1. "Veratrum viride", a toxic North American plant

Ancestry of “itchweed”, step by step

itchweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English weed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweedAny plant regarded as unwanted at the place...
2Middle Englishweed—
3Old Englishwēodweed
4Proto-West Germanic*weudweed (unwanted plant)

via English itch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishitchA sensation felt on an area of the skin that...
2Middle EnglishiccheAlternative form of I
3Old Englishġiċċean itch
4Proto-Germanicjukjǭan itch
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *weud →Every word from Old English wēod →Every word from Middle English weed →