Where does “Weardale” come from?

Weardale (English) comes from English Wear, from Middle English weren, from Old English werian, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Ancestry of “Weardale”, step by step

Weardale traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Wear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWearThe cities of Durham and Sunderland are situated upon its grand banks
2Middle EnglishwerenPlural past indicative form of been; Plural...
3Old Englishwerianto wear; to defend, protect
4Proto-West Germanicwaʀjanto clothe
5Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via English Dale

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDalefor someone living in a dale
2Middle EnglishdaleA dale or valley; A hole or barrow
3Old Englishdælpart; valley
4Proto-West Germanicdailipart
5Proto-Germanicdailizpart, portion, deal
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰayl-part, watershed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer-