Where does “bewähren” come from?
bewähren (German) comes from German wahr, from Middle High German wār, from Old High German wār, from Proto-West Germanic wār, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “bewähren”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | wahr | true, real; true, truthful |
| 2 | Middle High German | wār | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wār | id; true |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |