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

Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk-