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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
EARWIG.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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EARWIG,
the name of an insect. (E.) So called because
supposed to creep into the ear.—A. S. eor-wicga;
used to translate 'blatta' in Ælfric's Gloss. ed. Somner, p.
60. The A. S. wicg commonly means 'a horse;' Grein, ii.
689 (cf. Icel. vigg, a horse); from wegan, to carry, cognate with
Lat. uehere; see Vehicle. ¶
There is no authority for giving wicga the sense of 'insect,' beyond
its occurrence in this compound. See Ear (1). [†]
ADDENDA
But in A.S. Leechdoms, ii.
134, l. 4, the word wicga prob. means an earwig, and in this
instance may mean 'wagger,' i.e. wriggler, rather than 'carrier' or
horse. See Wag,
Wing;
and ✔WAGH,
no 338.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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