Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wereorc” come from?

wereorc (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.

wereorc (English): A shapeshifter who can assume the form of an orc

Definitions

  1. A shapeshifter who can assume the form of an orc

Ancestry of “wereorc”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishweresecond-person singular simple past indicative of...
2EnglishwerewolfA person who is transformed or can transform into...
3Middle Englishwerwolf—
4Old Englishwerewulf—
5Old Englishwerman; husband; hero, warrior
6Proto-Germanicwer—
7Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
9Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →