Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “wirwar” come from?

wirwar (Dutch) comes from German Wirrwarr, from German wirren, from Middle High German werren, from Old High German werran, from Proto-Germanic werraną, from Proto-Germanic werzaną, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

wirwar (Dutch): tangle, confused mess, chaos

Definitions

  1. tangle, confused mess, chaos

Ancestry of “wirwar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWirrwarrchaos
2Germanwirrento whirl around
3Middle High Germanwerren—
4Old High Germanwerranto entangle, confuse
5Proto-Germanicwerranąto cause confusion or disarray
6Proto-GermanicwerzanąAlternative form of *werraną; to twist, mix up,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwers-to wipe; peak, height
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →