Where does “World” come from?
World (English) comes from Middle English world, from Old English weorold, from Proto-West Germanic weraldi, from Proto-Germanic weraldiz, from Proto-Germanic weraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “World”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | world | The world, the planet; A dimension, realm, or... |
| 2 | Old English | weorold | world |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | weraldi | world |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | weraldiz | lifetime, worldly existence; mankind; world |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | weraz | man; husband |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |