Where does “shapewear” come from?

shapewear (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.

shapewear (English): foundation garments, designed to hold a part of...

Definitions

  1. foundation garments, designed to hold a part of...

Ancestry of “shapewear”, step by step

shapewear 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 shape

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshapeThe status or condition of something; Condition...
2English-edUsed to form past tenses of verbs. In...
3Middle English-edAlternative form of -hede
4Old English-edformed into the likeness of, made into, shaped...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēr-Every word from Proto-Germanic warjaną