vermiculation

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wr̥mis“worm”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*-tis
3. Latin · borrowed fromvermiculātiōnem
4. English todayvermiculation

Borrowed from Latin vermiculātiōnem, from vermiculor (“to be worm-eaten, to be wormy”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-tis (suffix forming abstract or action nouns from verb roots)). The Latin verb is from vermis (“worm”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis (“worm”), possibly from *wer- (“to turn”)).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 17th c. A pattern of irregular wavy lines resembling worms or their casts or tracks, found on the plumage of birds, used to decorate artworks and buildings, etc.