| 1 | Middle English | werre | War in general; the practice of fighting between... |
| 2 | Old Norse | verri | comparative degree of illr, worse; worse |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wirsizô | comparative degree of *ubilaz; worse |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |