Cognate Set 8254 – Meaning: red

IE-CoR reference form:
*u̯r̥mi-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Proposed as cognate to:
*kʷr̥mi- [Proto-Indo-European] scale: 2
Justification:
Italic (and Baltic, in late parallel derivations) lexemes in the meaning 'red' are derived from IE *u̯r̥mi- 'snake, worm' adopted from the use of insects to produce red dye (von Wartburg 1922–2002 14:288-291, de Vaan 2008:665, Derksen 2015:567), cf. also cognate set 1163. See 'worm' in cognate set 348 for further etymological discussion.
Found in clades:
Italic
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough
Found in 1 clade by 5 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
144   Portuguese vermelho vɨɾˈmɛʎu vɨɾˈmɛʎu
141   Catalan vermell bəɾˈmɛʎ bəɾˈmɛʎ
142   Old Spanish vermejo beɾˈmeʒo
140   Old Catalan vermell bəɾˈməʎ bəɾˈməʎ
145   Portuguese: Brazilian vermelho
References
  • Derksen, Rick: 567
    S.v. Old Prussian wormyan 'red' < PIE *urmi- (cf. Lat. vermis 'worm', Goth. waurms 'snake', OEng. wyrm 'snake, worm'). Other colour adjectives derived from *urmi- 'worm' are Ukr. vermjáty 'red', OHG wormo 'purple', MoFr. vermeil 'scarlet' < *vermiculus.
  • de Vaan, Michiel: 665
    Cf. s.v. Lat. vermis 'worm, maggot', from PIE *u̯r̥mi- 'snake, worm' (cf. Goth. waurms 'snake', OIc. ormr, OEng. wyrm, OFr. wirm 'snake', OS wormo, OHG wurm, 'worm' < PGmc. *wurma/i-). Cf. the PIE doublet *kʷrmi- 'worm, maggot', possibly secondarily from PIE *kʷrmi- > *wrmi- in Lat. and Germanic.
  • von Wartburg, Walther: 14:288-291
    Cf. s.v. Lat. vermiculus 'kleiner Wurm' > Fr. vermeil.