Where does “worm” come from?

worm (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon wurm, 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 Saxonwurma serpent or snake; a creeping insect, maggot,...
2Proto-Germanicwurmizworm; serpent, snake
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwr̥misworm
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “worm”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis →Every word from Proto-Germanic wurmiz →