wyrm

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old English wyrm. Doublet of worm, which was inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɜːm/
• enPR: wûrm, IPA^(key): /wɝm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

wyrm (plural wyrms)

1. (mythology) A huge limbless and wingless dragon or dragon-like creature
2. (fantasy) A vague term, but it usually refers to huge limbless and wingless dragon or dragon-like creature
3. (synonym) A sea serpent

See also

• Jörmungandr
• sea serpent
• worm

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Middle English

Noun

wyrm

1. Alternative form of worm

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Old English

Alternative forms

• ƿyrm — wynn spelling

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis. Cognate with Old Frisian wirm, Old Saxon wurm (Dutch worm), Old High German wurm (German Wurm), Old Norse ormr (Swedish orm (“serpent”)), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐍃 (waurms, “worm, serpent”). The Indo-European root is also the source of Latin vermis (“worm”), Lithuanian varmas (“midge”), Old East Slavic вермие (vermije, “locusts, worms”), Ancient Greek ῥόμος (rhómos, “earthworm”) (originally *ϝράμος (wrámos)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wyrm/, [wyrˠm]

Noun

wyrm m (plural wyrmas)

1. creeping insect; maggot, grub, worm
2. snake, dragon

Derived terms

Derived terms

• anawyrm
• cawelwyrm
• dēawwyrm
• fāhwyrm
• fīċwyrm
• flǣsċwyrm
• handwyrm
• inwyrm
• lēafwyrm
• moldwyrm
• mustwyrm
• reġnwyrm
• rengwyrm

• seolocwyrm
• seolcwyrm
• smēawyrm
• tōþwyrm
• trēowwyrm
• wyrmfāh
• wyrmgaldere
• wyrmgalere
• wyrmġeard
• wyrmġeblǣd
• wyrmhīw
• wyrmhord
• wyrmhǣlsere
• wyrmlīċ

Descendants

• Middle English: worm, werm, wirm, wurm, wyrm, wyrme, wrim, worme
  • English: worm
  • Scots: worm, wirm
• → English: wyrm

References

• On-line Anglo-Saxon dictionary
• The Western Dragon