Where does “wernen” come from?
wernen (Middle English) comes from Old English wyrnan, from Proto-West Germanic warnijan, from Proto-Germanic warnijaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
wernen (Middle English): to refuse, prohibit
Ancestry of “wernen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wyrnan | Alternative form of wiernan; to refuse, reject |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | warnijan | to refuse; to deny |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | warnijaną | to care, worry; to worry, care, heed; to worry,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |