Where does “worsted” come from?
Worsted comes from Middle English worste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic wirsistaz and ubilaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂upélos and h₂wep-, meaning bad or evil.
worsted (English): Yarn made from long strands of wool; The fine,...
Definitions
- Yarn made from long strands of wool; The fine,...
Ancestry of “worsted”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | worst | superlative form of bad: most bad; superlative... |
| 2 | Middle English | worste | — |
| 3 | Old English | wierrest | superlative degree of yfel: worst |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wirsistaz | superlative degree of *ubilaz |