Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “wirren” come from?

wirren (German) comes 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.

wirren (German): to whirl around

Definitions

  1. to whirl around

Ancestry of “wirren”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwerren—
2Old High Germanwerranto entangle, confuse
3Proto-Germanicwerranąto cause confusion or disarray
4Proto-GermanicwerzanąAlternative form of *werraną; to twist, mix up,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwers-to wipe; peak, height
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “wirren”

  • wirsch
  • Wirren
  • Wirrwarr
  • wirr
  • wirrisch
  • wirwar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →