ἕλμις

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: f.
Meaning: intestinal worm, parasitic worm (Hp., Arist.); NGr. forms in Rohlfs ByzZ 37, 56f.
Other forms: (Arist.), gen. ἕλμινθος (with new nom. ἕλμινς Hp.), also ἕλμιγγος etc.; also acc. ἕλμιθα (epid.); nom. pl. ἕλμεις (Dsc.). Difficult λίμινθες ἕλμινθες. Πάφιοι H.
Compounds: As 1. member in ἑλμινθο-βότανον herb used against worms (medic.).
Derivatives: ἑλμίνθ-ιον (dimin.), -ώδης worm-like, -ιάω suffer from worms (Hp., Arist.).
Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]
Etymology: If the dental- and velar enlargements are removed (Schwyzer 510 and 498, Chantr. Form. 366 and 400) we get a word, that agrees in its ending with two other names for worm. (One is found in Indo-Iranian (e. g. Skt. kŕ̥mi-), in Albanian (krimp), Baltic (e. g. Lith. kirmìs), Slavic (e. g. OCS črъmьnъ red < *črъmь, slov. čr̂m fingerworm, carbuncle), Celtic (e. g. OIr. cruim). The other is limited to Latin (vermis) and Germanic (e. g. Goth. waurms), but has relatives in Balto-Slavic (e. g. OPr. vormyan red, ORuss. vermie ἀκρίδες) and Greek (Boeot. PN Ϝάρμιχος; cf. also, with different formation, ῥόμος σκώληξ ἐν ξύλοις H.). Of these IE *kʷr̥mi- seems to be the oldest, both for its wide distribution, especially in frontier areas, as because it is etymologically isolated (cf. Porzig Gliederung 208f.). The riming *u̯r̥mi- may have been adapted to the verb *u̯er- turn, bend (cf. ῥόμος and ῥατάναν). A further innovation would be found in Greek because it connected the verb u̯el- turn, wind (s. 2. εἰλέω), which gave two further forms for worm, εὑλή and Ϝάλη (written ὑάλη). (From Tocharian A one adds walyi pl. worms.) - The last mentioned (three) forms (with -l-) are clearly unrelated. The IE forms have -r-, but our word has -l- (so the word is not IE, as Furnée 290 holds). Though DELG does not think it necessary to take the -νθ- as a sign of Pre-Greek, I don't see why. Note that the form ἔλμιγγος also shows the typical Pre-Greek prenasalization (cf. acc. ἔλμιθα IG IV 12, 122,10 Epidauros). The form λίμινθες also rather suggests a Pre-Greek variant. Was it *lymi(n)t-? (with proothetic vowel a- which became e- before the palatal l?). Note that the NGr. forms λεβίθα, -ίδες confirm the vowel right of the l (see DELG).