Where does “were” come from?
were (Middle English) comes from Middle English weren, from Old English werian, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
were (Middle English): Second-person singular past indicative form of...
Definitions
- Second-person singular past indicative form of...
Ancestry of “were”, step by step
were traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English weren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | weren | Plural past indicative form of been; Plural... |
| 2 | Old English | werian | to wear; to defend, protect |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |