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 white-bodied, wood-consuming insect

Definitions

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