Where does “world” come from?
World derives from Middle English world, from Old English woruld, from Proto-Germanic weraldiz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning age or lifetime.
world (English): Human collective existence; existence in general;...
Definitions
- Human collective existence; existence in general;...
Ancestry of “world”, step by step
world traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English world
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | world | The world, the planet; A dimension, realm, or... |
| 2 | Old English | weorold | world |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | weraldi | world |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | weraldiz | lifetime, worldly existence; mankind; world |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | weraz | man; husband |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |
via Middle English weoreld
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | weoreld | Alternative form of world |