Where does “worse” come from?
worse (Middle English) comes from Old English wiersa, from Proto-Germanic wirsizô, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “worse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wiersa | comparative degree of yfel: worse |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wirsizô | comparative degree of *ubilaz; worse |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “worse”