Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wr̥mis

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-European

Etymology

Possibly from the root *wer- (“to turn, to bend”).^[1] Alternatively, a mutation of the synonymous *kʷr̥mis.^[2]

Noun

*wr̥mis

worm
Synonym: *kʷr̥mis
larva

Reconstruction notes

Several descendants appear to have been reshaped irregularly by a process such as taboo or analogy; compare the similar problems of *morwi- and *plúsis.

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

Proto-Albanian: *wrimi
- Albanian: rrime
Proto-Armenian:
- >? Old Armenian: որդն (ordn)
Proto-Balto-Slavic: *wārmi-, *wārmas
- Lithuanian: var̃mas (“mosquito, horse-fly, fly, bug”)^[3]
- Old Prussian: wormyan (“red”), urminan, warmun^[4]^[5]
- Proto-Slavic: *vьrmьje (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Celtic:
- Proto-Brythonic:
  - Welsh: gwraint
Proto-Germanic: *wurmiz^[6] (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Hellenic: *wrómos
- Ancient Greek: ῥόμος (rhómos, “wood-worm”)
Proto-Italic: *wormis
- Latin: vermis (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “worm”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “vermis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 665
^ Derksen, Rick (2015) “varmas”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 490
^ Derksen, Rick (2015) “wormyan”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 567
^ G. H. F. Nesselmann (1873) “wormyan”, in Thesaurus linguae prussicae. Der preussische Vocabelvorrath [...] (in German), Berlin: Ferd. Dümmlers Verlagsbuchhandlung; Harrwitz & Gossmann, page 211
^ Guus Kroonen (2013) “*wurmi-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 600

[1] Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “worm”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

[2] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “vermis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 665

[3] Derksen, Rick (2015) “varmas”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 490

[4] Derksen, Rick (2015) “wormyan”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 567

[5] G. H. F. Nesselmann (1873) “wormyan”, in Thesaurus linguae prussicae. Der preussische Vocabelvorrath [...] (in German), Berlin: Ferd. Dümmlers Verlagsbuchhandlung; Harrwitz & Gossmann, page 211

[6] Guus Kroonen (2013) “*wurmi-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 600

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