Where does “wēerwolf” come from?
wēerwolf (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch werwulf, from Proto-West Germanic werawulf, from Proto-West Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “wēerwolf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | werwulf | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | werawulf | wolf-man, werewolf |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wer | man |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |
Words derived from “wēerwolf”