Where does “wāren” come from?
wāren (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon wārōn, from Proto-West Germanic warōn, from Proto-Germanic warōną, from Proto-Germanic waraz, from Proto-Iranian warājáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian warāȷ́ʰás — boar.
Ancestry of “wāren”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | wārōn | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | warōn | to watch, to protect |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | warōną | to watch, to protect |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | waraz | cautious; heedful; wary; watchful |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | warājáh | wild boar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | warāȷ́ʰás | boar |