Where does “were” come from?
Were comes from Middle English wer and Old English wer, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, wes-, bʰew-, and h₁ésmi, ultimately related to the root meaning "to be."
were (English): second-person singular simple past indicative of...
Definitions
- second-person singular simple past indicative of...
Ancestry of “were”, step by step
were traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English werewolf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | werewolf | A person who is transformed or can transform into... |
| 2 | Middle English | werwolf | — |
| 3 | Old English | werewulf | werewolf |
| 4 | Old English | wer | man; husband; hero, warrior |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wer | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |
via Middle English were
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | were | Second-person singular past indicative form of... |
| 2 | Middle English | weren | Plural past indicative form of been; Plural... |
| 3 | Old English | werian | to wear; to defend, protect |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |