Where does “worm” come from?

worm (Old Dutch) comes 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
1Proto-Germanicwurmizworm; serpent, snake
2Proto-Indo-Europeanwr̥misworm
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis →Every word from Proto-Germanic wurmiz →