Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wharf” come from?

Wharf derives from Middle English wharf, from Old English hwearf, of uncertain origin.

wharf (English): A man-made landing place for ships on a shore or...

Definitions

  1. A man-made landing place for ships on a shore or...

Ancestry of “wharf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwharfwharf
2Old Englishhweorfanto turn, change; to depart, go, proceed; to...
3Proto-Germanichwerbanąto turn; turn around; to move; move about; to...
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷerp-to turn; to whirl, to twist

Words derived from “wharf”

  • wharfside
  • wharfing
  • wharfmaster
  • wharfie
  • wharfman
  • wharflike
  • ihhofu
  • wap
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷerp- →