Where does “rabbit warren” come from?
rabbit warren (English) comes from English Warren, from Middle English warenne, from Anglo-Norman warenne, from Old French garenne, from Old French guarir, from Frankish warjan, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
rabbit warren (English): An underground system of interconnected tunnels occupied by rabbits
Definitions
- An underground system of interconnected tunnels occupied by rabbits
Ancestry of “rabbit warren”, step by step
rabbit warren traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Warren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Warren | A placename |
| 2 | Middle English | warenne | warren; The privilege of setting up such a zone |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | warenne | Alternative form of garenne |
| 4 | Old French | garenne | warren |
| 5 | Old French | guarir | to protect; to save; to cure; to heal |
| 6 | Frankish | warjan | to fend off; to stop, thwart; to fend for,... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |