Wurm

Etymology

From Middle High German wurm, from Old High German wurm, from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis. Cognate with Dutch worm, English worm, West Frisian wjirm, Danish orm, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐍃 (waurms).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vʊrm/, [vʊʁm], [vʊɐ̯m], [ʋ-]
Audio: (file)

Noun

Wurm m or (alternatively when meaning "baby, mite") n (strong, genitive Wurmes or Wurms, plural Würmer or (archaic) Würme, diminutive Würmchen n or Würmlein n)

(biology) worm
(informal) maggot, grub
(archaic) any crawling animal, e.g. a reptile
Synonym: Kriechtier
(poetic, heraldry) dragon, lindworm, wyrm
Synonyms: Drache, Lindwurm
(computing) worm
(colloquial, endearing) a baby or small child; a mite; any helpless creature

Usage notes

The word is generally masculine in all senses. When meaning “baby, mite”, it may alternatively be neuter.
The normal plural is Würmer. The form Würme is archaic; it might still see some usage in the heraldic sense.

Declension

More information singular, plural ...

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der, das	Wurm	die	Würmer, Würme²
genitive	eines	des	Wurmes, Wurms	der	Würmer, Würme²
dative	einem	dem	Wurm, Wurme¹	den	Würmern, Würmen²
accusative	einen, ein	den, das	Wurm	die	Würmer, Würme²

Declension of Wurm [masculine // neuter (alternatively when meaning "baby, mite"), strong]

¹Now rare, see notes.
²Archaic.

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

Saterland Frisian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Noun

References

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