Where does “warhorse” come from?
Warhorse comes from Middle English war and horse, with horse deriving from Old English hors, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
warhorse (English): Any horse used in horse-cavalry, but especially...
Definitions
- Any horse used in horse-cavalry, but especially...
Ancestry of “warhorse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | War | — |
| 2 | Middle English | werre | War in general; the practice of fighting between... |
| 3 | Old Norse | verri | comparative degree of illr, worse; worse |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wirsizô | comparative degree of *ubilaz; worse |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |