Where does “velvet worm” come from?
velvet worm (English) comes from English Worm, 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, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ- — bright; to shine; to see.
velvet worm (English): A worm of the phylum Onychophora: an ecdysozoan...
Definitions
- A worm of the phylum Onychophora: an ecdysozoan...
Ancestry of “velvet worm”, step by step
velvet worm 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 phylum; an earthworm |
| 2 | Middle English | worm | A worm or similar small wormlike animal that... |
| 3 | Old English | wyrm | creeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,... |
| 4 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via English velvet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | velvet | A closely woven fabric with a thick short pile... |
| 2 | Middle English | velvet | velvet; Clothes made of velvet |
| 3 | Old Occitan | veluet | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | villutittus | — |
| 5 | Latin | villutus | shaggy, hairy |
| 6 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 7 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |