Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “leafworm” come from?

leafworm (English) comes from Old English lēafwyrm, 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-, from Proto-Indo-European lewk- — bright; to shine; to see.

leafworm (English): Any caterpillar that eats the leaves of plants

Definitions

  1. Any caterpillar that eats the leaves of plants

Ancestry of “leafworm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlēafwyrmcaterpillar
2Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
3Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
4Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
5Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →