Where does “worm” come from?
worm (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch 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.
Ancestry of “worm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | wurm | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wurmi | worm; serpent, snake |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wurmiz | worm; serpent, snake |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wr̥mis | worm |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “worm”