Where does “warning” come from?
Warn comes from Middle English warnen, Old English warnian, and Proto-Germanic warnōną, all meaning to caution or put on guard, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root wer-.
warning (English): present participle of warn; The action of the...
Definitions
- present participle of warn; The action of the...
Ancestry of “warning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | warn | To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially |
| 2 | Middle English | warnen | to warn; admonish |
| 3 | Old English | warnian | Alternative form of wearnian; to warn, caution,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | warnōną | to be careful; to warn |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |