Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Variac” come from?

Variac (English) comes from English variable, from Old French variable, from Latin variāre, from Latin varius, from Latin vārus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wer-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Ancestry of “Variac”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishvariableAble to vary or be varied; Likely to vary; Marked...
2Old Frenchvariable—
3Latinvariāre—
4Latinvariusdiverse, different, various, variegated
5Latinvārus—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wer-to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “Variac”

  • variac
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →