Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “weapons” come from?

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

weapons (English): plural of weapon

Definitions

  1. plural of weapon

Ancestry of “weapons”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweaponAn instrument of attack or defense in combat or...
2Middle Englishwepento weep
3Old Englishwēpanweep, cry; to weep, complain, bewail, mourn over,...
4Proto-West Germanicwōpijanto weep
5Proto-Germanicwōpijanąto cry out, to lament
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₂b-to call, cry, complain; to call, shout, complain

Words derived from “weapons”

  • nonweapons
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₂b- →