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

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

Ancestry of “weapon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwepento weep
2Old Englishwēpanweep, cry; to weep, complain, bewail, mourn over,...
3Proto-West Germanicwōpijanto weep
4Proto-Germanicwōpijanąto cry out, to lament
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₂b-to call, cry, complain; to call, shout, complain

Words derived from “weapon”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₂b- →