Where does “termite” come from?
termite (Italian) comes from Late Latin termes, from Latin tarmes, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
termite (Italian): termite
Ancestry of “termite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | termes | a branch bough of a tree, one severed thence;... |
| 2 | Latin | tarmes | a worm that eats wood; a woodworm |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
Words derived from “termite”