Where does “worthy” come from?
Worthy comes from Middle English worthy, formed with the Middle English suffix -y from Middle French -ie, ultimately from Latin -ium and Proto-Indo-European -kos attached to the root wer- meaning to turn or bend.
worthy (English): having worth, merit, or value; honourable or...
Definitions
- having worth, merit, or value; honourable or...
Ancestry of “worthy”, step by step
worthy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English worthy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | worthy | worthy, noble, brave |
| 2 | Middle English | worth | to become |
| 3 | Old English | weorþ | worth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via Middle English wurthi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wurthi | — |