Where does “wantwurm” come from?

wantwurm (Old High German) comes from Old High German 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.

wantwurm (Old High German): bedbug

Definitions

  1. bedbug

Ancestry of “wantwurm”, step by step

wantwurm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old High German wurm

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

via Old High German want

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High GermanwantA wall
2Proto-Germanicwanduzmole; vole; rod, switch, stick
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwendʰ-to wind, to turn
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis →Every word from Proto-Germanic wurmiz →