Where does “werebeing” come from?
werebeing (English) comes from English were, from English werewolf, from Middle English werwolf, from Old English werewulf, from Old English wer, from Proto-Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
werebeing (English): Any shapeshifting creature, such as a werewolf or werebear
Definitions
- Any shapeshifting creature, such as a werewolf or werebear
Ancestry of “werebeing”, step by step
werebeing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English were
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | were | second-person singular simple past indicative of... |
| 2 | English | werewolf | A person who is transformed or can transform into... |
| 3 | Middle English | werwolf | — |
| 4 | Old English | werewulf | werewolf |
| 5 | Old English | wer | man; husband; hero, warrior |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wer | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |
via English being
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | being | present participle of be; A living creature; The... |
| 2 | English | ing | A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;... |
| 3 | Middle English | ing | — |
| 4 | Old English | ing | meadow, water meadow, ing |
| 5 | Old Norse | eng | meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | angijō | A low lying meadow in a valley or near a river |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énkos | curve, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |