Where does “moss bug” come from?
moss bug (English) comes from English moss, from Middle English mos, from Old English mos, from Proto-Germanic *mōs, from Proto-Germanic mōsą, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂d- — to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,...
moss bug (English): Any bug of the suborder Coleorrhyncha, which feed on moss
Definitions
- Any bug of the suborder Coleorrhyncha, which feed on moss
Ancestry of “moss bug”, step by step
moss bug traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English moss
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | moss | Any of various small, green, seedless plants... |
| 2 | Middle English | mos | mush, pulp, porridge |
| 3 | Old English | mos | moss; food, nourishment, victuals |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *mōs | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mōsą | wet food, mush, porridge; food, victuals |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂d- | to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,... |