In the "Geographia Etymologica," the map of English is cantoned into 26 shires. And W is the most Germanic shire in English.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.etymonline.com/columns/post/a-walking-tour-of-w
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.etymonline.com/columns/post/a-walking-tour-of-w
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I came to look for the the word weird but this walking tour of W was very interesting i will now be looking at the letters like neighborhoods 
thank you 
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Ah ! So, vermin I gather, are simply "worms’, as in “…those vermin who stole our eggs !”. And, thus, vermicelli is likely worm shaped pasta ! No ? I love this history of ‘words’. Or, is/was it ‘vords’ !?
I’m 77 with little college, yet always did well in grade-HS English. I always knew as a youngster that communicating clearly was ultra important and at the same time the words themselves always stirred my curiosity. So Glad I discovered (dis-covered) etymonline (etymology online)…
How cool is that ! (<does this require a ‘?’) ??
Mark Harris
The Anglo-Saxons also W-fied: Guarantee, Guile, Guillaume, Guerre, Guard and Gaul to Wales.
A beautiful article, as usual. Thank you. I love the little evocative images you paint, all shot with the thrilling mystery you must experience. Etymology seems like a dense network of interesting connections along which the impulse of curiosity can whisk you anywhere.
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