Where does “wardroom” come from?
Wardroom comes from Middle English ward, from Old English weard meaning guard or keeper, combined with room from Old English rūme derived from Proto-Germanic rūmaz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European wer-.
wardroom (English): The living quarters of a ship designated for the...
Definitions
- The living quarters of a ship designated for the...
Ancestry of “wardroom”, step by step
wardroom traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ward | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ward | ward, keeping |
| 3 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 4 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 5 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 8 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |
via English room
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | room | Opportunity or scope; Space "for" something, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | roum | A space or area; A room |
| 3 | Old English | rūm | room, space; roomy, spacious, ample, extensive,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rūm | roomy, spacious; room, open space |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |