Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “worm” come from?

worm (Middle English) comes from Old English wyrm, from Old English lēah, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European lewk- — bright; to shine; to see.

worm (Middle English): A worm or similar small wormlike animal that...

Definitions

  1. A worm or similar small wormlike animal that...

Ancestry of “worm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
2Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
3Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
4Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see

Words derived from “worm”

  • worm
  • tapeworm
  • wormhole
  • bookworm
  • ringworm
  • hookworm
  • wormy
  • wormlike
  • budworm
  • cutworm
  • roundworm
  • glowworm
  • armyworm
  • heartworm
  • bollworm
  • rootworm
  • screwworm
  • flatworm
  • wireworm
  • hornworm
  • inchworm
  • woodworm
  • cankerworm
  • pinworm
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →