Where does “wā” come from?

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

Ancestry of “wā”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanwārid; true
2Proto-West Germanicwārtrue, reliable
3Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “wā”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós →Every word from Proto-Germanic wēraz →