Where does “Wirrwarr” come from?
Wirrwarr (German) comes from German wirren, from Middle High German werren, from Old High German werran, from Proto-Germanic werraną, from Proto-Germanic werzaną, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Wirrwarr (German): chaos
Ancestry of “Wirrwarr”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | wirren | to whirl around |
| 2 | Middle High German | werren | — |
| 3 | Old High German | werran | to entangle, confuse |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | werraną | to cause confusion or disarray |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | werzaną | Alternative form of *werraną; to twist, mix up,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “Wirrwarr”