Where does “worth” come from?

worth (Middle English) comes from Old English weorþ, from Proto-Germanic werþaz, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

worth (Middle English): to become

Definitions

  1. to become

Ancestry of “worth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishweorþworth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,...
2Proto-Germanicwerþazworthy, valuable
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “worth”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →