Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “werewolfish” come from?

werewolfish (English) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

werewolfish (English): Resembling or characteristic of a werewolf

Definitions

  1. Resembling or characteristic of a werewolf

Ancestry of “werewolfish”, step by step

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