Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “taintworm” come from?

taintworm (English) comes from English worm, from Middle English wurm, from Middle English worm, from Old English wyrm, from Old English lēah, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos — bright; to shine; to see.

taintworm (English): A destructive parasitic worm or insect larva

Definitions

  1. A destructive parasitic worm or insect larva

Ancestry of “taintworm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwormA generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid...
2Middle EnglishwurmAlternative form of worm
3Middle EnglishwormA worm or similar small wormlike animal that...
4Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
5Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
6Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
7Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
10Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →