English
rainworm
Rainworm comes from Old English reġnwyrm ‘earthworm’, and goes back to Proto-West Germanic *regnawurmi.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*regnawurmi‘earthworm’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150reġnwyrm‘earthworm’
- Englishtodayrainworm
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*regnawurmi‘earthworm’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150reġnwyrm‘earthworm’
- Englishtodayrainworm
The story
Analysable as rain + worm, because the worm has the habit of surfacing on top of the saturated soil after rainfall.
Every English word from Proto-West Germanic *regnawurmi
Today it means
noun An earthworm.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *regnawurmi / rainworm