Where does “vara” come from?

vara (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse vara, from Middle Low German ware, from Old Saxon 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.

vara (Icelandic): article, commodity; goods, wares, freight,...

Definitions

  1. article, commodity; goods, wares, freight,...

Ancestry of “vara”, step by step

vara traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse vara

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevarato ware, watch out, defend
2Middle Low Germanware
3Old Saxonwārtrue
4Proto-West Germanicwārtrue, reliable
5Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

via Middle Low German wāren

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanwārento last, to endure
2Old Saxonwārōnto protect, to safeguard
3Proto-West Germanicwarōnto watch, to protect
4Proto-Germanicwarōnąto watch, to protect

Words derived from “vara

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrósEvery word from Proto-Germanic wēraz