Where does “wërwolf” come from?

wërwolf (Middle High German) comes from Old High German wërwolf, from Proto-West Germanic werawulf, from Proto-West Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

Ancestry of “wërwolf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanwërwolf—
2Proto-West Germanicwerawulfwolf-man, werewolf
3Proto-West Germanicwerman
4Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “wërwolf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós →Every word from Proto-Germanic wēraz →
wërwolf — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer