Where does “war-dialing” come from?
war-dialing (English) comes from English war-dial, from English war, from Middle English werre, from Old Norse verri, from Proto-Germanic wirsizô, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
war-dialing (English): present participle of war-dial; The practice of...
Definitions
- present participle of war-dial; The practice of...
Ancestry of “war-dialing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | war-dial | To have a computer dial a large number of phone... |
| 2 | English | war | Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between... |
| 3 | Middle English | werre | War in general; the practice of fighting between... |
| 4 | Old Norse | verri | comparative degree of illr, worse; worse |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wirsizô | comparative degree of *ubilaz; worse |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |