vermicelli

Where does the word "vermicelli" come from? It comes from Latin vermis, passing through Italian before entering English (1660s).

Vermicelli’s story begins in Latin: vermis meant “worm.” The plain word for a worm. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as vermicello. A diminutive, 'little worm', naming pasta cut into thin strands. It reached English by 1660s as vermicelli. Borrowed (as the Italian plural) for the thin, worm-like pasta. Today, vermicelli means long, thin strands of pasta, thinner than spaghetti.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient vermis "worm", the plain word for a worm.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval vermicello "little worm; thin pasta strands", a diminutive, 'little worm', naming pasta cut into thin strands.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1660s vermicelli "long, thin strands of pasta", borrowed (as the Italian plural) for the thin, worm-like pasta.