Where does “渦虫” come from?

渦虫 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 渦, from Middle Chinese 渦.

渦虫 (Japanese): turbellarian

Definitions

  1. turbellarian

Ancestry of “渦虫”, step by step

渦虫 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 渦

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese渦eddy, swirl, whirlpool, vortex
2Middle Chinese渦—

via Japanese 虫

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese虫a bug, insect, worm; a serpent, snake; a worm
Every word from Middle Chinese 渦 →Every word from Japanese 渦 →