Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vara” come from?

Vara comes from Portuguese vara, from Latin vara, ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root wer- meaning to turn or bend.

vara (English): A unit of length in the old Spanish system or...

Definitions

  1. A unit of length in the old Spanish system or...

Ancestry of “vara”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishvaraa long and thin stick, pole or rod; thin branch...
2Old Spanishvara—
3Latinvarafork, forked branch; tripod, easel; inflection of...
4Latinvārus—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wer-to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →