Where does “wâer” come from?
wâer (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch 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 “wâer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | wār | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |