Where does “melonworm” come from?

melonworm (English) comes from English melon, from Old French melon, from Latin melonem, from Latin melopeponem, from Ancient Greek μηλοπέπων, from Ancient Greek πέπων, from Proto-Indo-European pékʷeti, from Proto-Indo-European pekʷ-.

melonworm (English): Diaphania hyalinata, a crambid moth

Definitions

  1. Diaphania hyalinata, a crambid moth

Ancestry of “melonworm”, step by step

melonworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English melon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmelonAny of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae...
2Old Frenchmelonmelon (fruit)
3Latinmelonemaccusative singular of mēlō
4LatinmelopeponemA type of pumpkin
5Ancient Greekμηλοπέπωνmelon, "Cucumis melo"
6Ancient Greekπέπωνripe, softened; good, sweet, kind; weak, cowardly
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpékʷetito be cooking; to ripen
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpekʷ-to cook; to ripen
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃-ép-kʷ-

via English Worm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWormA generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm
2Middle EnglishwormA worm or similar small wormlike animal that...
3Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
4Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
5Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
6Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃-ép-kʷ-