Where does “zwar” come from?
zwar (German) comes from Middle High German zewāre, from Middle High German wāre, from Old High German wara, from Proto-Germanic wērō, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
zwar (German): namely; only when used in und zwar; Signals a...
Definitions
- namely; only when used in und zwar; Signals a...
Ancestry of “zwar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | zewāre | in truth, indeed |
| 2 | Middle High German | wāre | true |
| 3 | Old High German | wara | attention; truth; agreement |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wērō | truth; pledge |
| 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 |