Where does “werwolf” come from?

werwolf (Middle English) comes from Old English werewulf, 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.

Ancestry of “werwolf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwerewulfwerewolf
2Old Englishwerman; husband; hero, warrior
3Proto-Germanicwer—
4Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “werwolf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →
werwolf — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer