Where does “worst” come from?
worst (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch worst, from Old Dutch wurst, from Proto-West Germanic wursti, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
worst (Dutch): sausage
Ancestry of “worst”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | worst | sausage |
| 2 | Old Dutch | wurst | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wursti | sausage |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “worst”