Where does “wēr” come from?

wēr (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon wer, from Proto-Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

Ancestry of “wēr”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonwerman; hero
2Proto-Germanicwer—
3Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós →Every word from Proto-Germanic wēraz →