Where does “vermin” come from?
Vermin derives from Middle English and Old French vermine, from Latin vermis meaning worm, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis related to the root wer-.
vermin (English): Any one of various common types of small insects...
Definitions
- Any one of various common types of small insects...
Ancestry of “vermin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | vermyn | Dangerous or foul animals; beasts or pests |
| 2 | Old French | vermine | vermin |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | verminum | vermin |
| 4 | Latin | vermis | a worm |
| 5 | Latin | fugāre | — |
| 6 | Latin | fugere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | fugiō | to flee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewg- | to flee; to enjoy, benefit |