Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “weren” come from?

weren (English) comes from Middle English weren, from Old English werian, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

weren (English): plural simple past of be

Definitions

  1. plural simple past of be

Ancestry of “weren”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwerenPlural past indicative form of been; Plural...
2Old Englishwerianto wear; to defend, protect
3Proto-West Germanicwaʀjanto clothe
4Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →