Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vari-” come from?

vari- (English) comes from Latin varius, from Latin vārus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wer-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Ancestry of “vari-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvariusdiverse, different, various, variegated
2Latinvārus—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wer-to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “vari-”

  • varifocal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →