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
Ancestry of “worth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | weorþ | worth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
Words derived from “worth”