Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “waywarden” come from?

waywarden (English) comes from English warden, from Middle English wardein, from Anglo-Norman wardein, from Old French warder, from Old French guarder, from Frankish wardēn, from Proto-Germanic wardāną, from Proto-Germanic *warduz — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

waywarden (English): Someone elected to take care of highways in a...

Definitions

  1. Someone elected to take care of highways in a...

Ancestry of “waywarden”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwardenA guard or watchman; A chief administrative...
2Middle Englishwardein—
3Anglo-Normanwardeinprotector; guard; guardian
4Old FrenchwarderAlternative form of guarder
5Old Frenchguarderto protect; to guard; to look at
6Frankishwardēnto protect; to guard, protect, watch over; to...
7Proto-Germanicwardānąto guard, protect, watch over
8Proto-Germanic*warduz—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →