Where does “worthy” come from?
worthy (Middle English) comes from Middle English worth, 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.
worthy (Middle English): worthy, noble, brave
Definitions
- worthy, noble, brave
Ancestry of “worthy”, step by step
worthy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English worth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | worth | to become |
| 2 | Old English | weorþ | worth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via Old English weorþiġ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | weorþiġ | "worthy" |