Where does “bicho-gordo” come from?

bicho-gordo (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese gordo, from Old Portuguese gordo, from Latin gurdus, from Proto-Italic gʷord-o-, from Proto-Indo-European gʷr̥dus.

bicho-gordo (Portuguese): common name for the larvae of some coleopteran insects, harmful to agriculture; grub

Definitions

  1. common name for the larvae of some coleopteran insects, harmful to agriculture; grub

Ancestry of “bicho-gordo”, step by step

bicho-gordo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Portuguese gordo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesegordocarrying a high amount of fat within one's body;...
2Old Portuguesegordo—
3Latingurdusa dolt, jolterhead, numbskull, blockhead,...
4Proto-Italicgʷord-o-stubborn, heavy
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷr̥dus—

via Portuguese Bicho

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1PortugueseBichobeast non-human animal
2Vulgar Latinbistius—
3Latinbēstiaa beast
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷr̥dus →Every word from Proto-Italic gʷord-o- →Every word from Latin gurdus →