Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “sorwe” come from?

sorwe (Middle English) comes from Old English sorg, from Proto-West Germanic sorgu, from Proto-Germanic surgō, from Proto-Indo-European swergʰ- — to watch over, worry; be ill, suffer; watch over,...

sorwe (Middle English): Alternative form of sorow

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of sorow

Ancestry of “sorwe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsorgworry, anxiety; sorrow, grief
2Proto-West Germanicsorguworry, sorrow
3Proto-Germanicsurgōworry, care, sorrow
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswergʰ-to watch over, worry; be ill, suffer; watch over,...

Words derived from “sorwe”

  • sorrow
  • sorrowless
  • sorroweth
  • sorrower
  • sorrowest
  • sorrowsome
  • sorrowly
  • oversorrow
  • sorrow-ridden
  • seeksorrow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swergʰ- →