Where does “Worthy” come from?

Worthy derives from Middle English worthy, formed with the Middle English suffix -y from Middle French -ie, Latin -ium, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root wer-.

Worthy (English): OS grid ref SS8548

Definitions

  1. OS grid ref SS8548

Ancestry of “Worthy”, step by step

Worthy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English worthy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishworthyworthy, noble, brave
2Middle Englishworthto become
3Old Englishweorþworth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,...
4Proto-Germanicwerþazworthy, valuable
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via Middle English worthien

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishworthien
2Old Englishweorþianto honour; to adorn, endow
3Proto-Germanicwerþōnąto estimate, value

Words derived from “Worthy

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer-