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
- A destructive parasitic worm or insect larva
Ancestry of “taintworm”, step by step
taintworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English worm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | worm | A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid... |
| 2 | Middle English | wurm | Alternative form of worm |
| 3 | Middle English | worm | A worm or similar small wormlike animal that... |
| 4 | Old English | wyrm | creeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,... |
| 5 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via English taint
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | taint | A contamination, decay or putrefaction,... |
| 2 | Middle French | teint | — |
| 3 | Old French | teint | — |
| 4 | Latin | tinctum | nominative neuter singular of tīnctus; accusative... |
| 5 | Latin | tinctus | impregnated with; dipped in; treated; coloured,... |
| 6 | Latin | tingō | to wet, moisten, dip in, impregnate with; to smear; to dip, immerse |
| 7 | Latin | tingere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | teng- | to think |