Where does “weapon” come from?

Weapon comes from Middle English wepen, from Old English wēpan, from Proto-Germanic wēpną, from Proto-Indo-European wēbnom, derived from the root weh₂b-.

weapon (English): An instrument of attack or defense in combat or...

Definitions

An instrument of attack or defense in combat or...

Ancestry of “weapon”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	wepen	to weep
2	Old English	wēpan	weep, cry; to weep, complain, bewail, mourn over,...
3	Proto-West Germanic	wōpijan	to weep
4	Proto-Germanic	wōpijaną	to cry out, to lament
5	Proto-Indo-European	weh₂b-	to call, cry, complain; to call, shout, complain

Words derived from “weapon”

weapons
weaponry
weaponization
weaponed
superweapon
bioweapon
weaponize
weaponisation
unweaponed
nonweapons
weaponeer
weaponsmith
weaponlike
nonweapon
weaponise
bioweaponry
weaponizable
beweaponed
superweaponry
weaponous
beweapon
antiweapon
disweapon
cyberweaponry

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₂b- →

weapon — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer