Where does “worrywart” come from?
worrywart (English) comes from English worry, from Middle English worien, from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-Germanic wurgijaną, from Proto-Germanic wargaz, from Proto-Indo-European werǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
worrywart (English): A person who worries excessively, especially...
Definitions
- A person who worries excessively, especially...
Ancestry of “worrywart”, step by step
worrywart traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English worry
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | worry | To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or... |
| 2 | Middle English | worien | — |
| 3 | Old English | wyrġan | to strangle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wurgijaną | to strangle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wargaz | outlaw, criminal; wolf |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵʰ- | bind, squeeze; to bind, squeeze; to turn, twist,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |