Where does “woodlouse” come from?
woodlouse (English) comes from English Wood, from English Frog, from Portuguese froco, from Latin floccus, from Frankish flokko, from Proto-Germanic *flukkô, from Proto-Indo-European plewk-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.
woodlouse (English): Any of the terrestrial isopod crustaceans of...
Definitions
- Any of the terrestrial isopod crustaceans of...
Ancestry of “woodlouse”, step by step
woodlouse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Wood
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wood | An English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood |
| 2 | English | Frog | Alternative form of frog |
| 3 | Portuguese | froco | flock |
| 4 | Latin | floccus | tuft, wisp of wool |
| 5 | Frankish | flokko | down, wool, flock |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *flukkô | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |