Where does “Tauwurm” come from?

Tauwurm (German) comes from German wurm, from Middle High German wurm, from Old High German wurm, from Proto-West Germanic wurmi, from Proto-Germanic wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Tauwurm (German): nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris)

Definitions

  1. nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris)

Ancestry of “Tauwurm”, step by step

Tauwurm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wurm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwurmwyrm, dragon
2Middle High Germanwurm—
3Old High Germanwurmsnake
4Proto-West Germanicwurmiworm; serpent, snake
5Proto-Germanicwurmizworm; serpent, snake
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwr̥misworm
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via German tau

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germantaudew
2Middle High Germantou—
3Old High Germandoudiscipline, coercion, tuition
4Old High Germantoudew
5Proto-Germanic*dawwaz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →