Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “irren” come from?

irren (German) comes from Middle High German irren, from Old High German irren, from Proto-West Germanic *irʀijan, from Proto-Germanic irzijaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ers- — to flow.

irren (German): to wander; to err

Definitions

  1. to wander; to err

Ancestry of “irren”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanirren—
2Old High Germanirrento wander
3Proto-West Germanic*irʀijan—
4Proto-Germanicirzijanąto delude, mislead
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ers-to flow

Words derived from “irren”

  • verirren
  • Irrung
  • beirren
  • Irrlicht
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ers- →