Where does “wer” come from?

wer (Middle English) comes from Old English wer, from Proto-Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

wer (Middle English): a man, a husband; Alternative form of were;...

Definitions

  1. a man, a husband; Alternative form of were;...

Ancestry of “wer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwerman; husband; hero, warrior
2Proto-Germanicwer—
3Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “wer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →