Where does “worse” come from?
Worse comes from Old English wiersa, from Proto-Germanic wirsizô, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
worse (English): comparative form of bad: more bad; comparative...
Definitions
- comparative form of bad: more bad; comparative...
Ancestry of “worse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | worse | Something or someone which is more yvel or ille (i.e. worse) |
| 2 | Old English | wiersa | comparative degree of yfel: worse |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wirsizô | comparative degree of *ubilaz; worse |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |