Where does “wards” come from?
Ward comes from Middle English ward, Old English weard, Proto-Germanic wardō, and Proto-Indo-European wer-, meaning to turn or guard.
wards (English): plural of ward; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of ward; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “wards”, step by step
| 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;... |