Where does “silkworm” come from?
Silkworm derives from Middle English silkwirm, from Old English seolcwyrm, combining Old English wyrm meaning "worm" with a word for silk ultimately from Ancient Greek Σήρ.
silkworm (English): Any of various caterpillars of moths that produce...
Definitions
- Any of various caterpillars of moths that produce...
Ancestry of “silkworm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | silkwirm | — |
| 2 | Old English | seolcwyrm | silkworm |
| 3 | Old English | seolc | silk |
| 4 | Latin | sēricum | — |
| 5 | English | serigraph | a silkscreen print made by serigraphy; an... |
| 6 | Latin | sericum | Chinese goods, but especially silk |
| 7 | Latin | sericus | Of or pertaining to the Seres or the Chinese;... |
| 8 | Latin | -icus | belonging to; derived from; of or pertaining to;... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |