Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “warwulf” come from?

warwulf (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon werwulf, 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 “warwulf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonwerwulfwerewolf
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 “warwulf”

  • varulv
  • varulv
  • varulv
  • var-
  • varkat
  • varbjørn
  • varulv
  • varúlvur
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →