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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchwurmworm
2Proto-West Germanicwurmiworm; serpent, snake
3Proto-Germanicwurmizworm; serpent, snake
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwr̥misworm
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “worm”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →