Where does “varbjørn” come from?
varbjørn (Danish) comes from Danish var-, from Danish varulv, from Middle Low German warwulf, from Old Saxon werwulf, from Proto-West Germanic werawulf, from Proto-West Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
varbjørn (Danish): werebear
Ancestry of “varbjørn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | var- | were- |
| 2 | Danish | varulv | werewolf |
| 3 | Middle Low German | warwulf | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | werwulf | werewolf |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | werawulf | wolf-man, werewolf |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | wer | man |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |