Where does “wartweed” come from?
wartweed (English) comes from English wart, from Middle English warte, from Old English wearte, from Proto-West Germanic *wartā, from Proto-Germanic wartǭ, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
wartweed (English): wartwort
Ancestry of “wartweed”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | wart | A type of deformed growth occurring on the skin... |
| 2 | Middle English | warte | — |
| 3 | Old English | wearte | wart |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *wartā | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wartǭ | wart |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |