Where does “wormgrass” come from?
wormgrass (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.
wormgrass (English): Spigelia marilandica, the pinkroot
Definitions
- Spigelia marilandica, the pinkroot
Ancestry of “wormgrass”, step by step
wormgrass 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 grass
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grass | Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by... |
| 2 | Middle English | gras | A grass; Any plant; especially a herbaceous one;... |
| 3 | Old English | græs | grass |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gras | grass |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grasą | grass |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰreh₁- | to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow |