Where does “worst” come from?

worst (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon worst, from Proto-West Germanic wursti, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Ancestry of “worst”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonworst—
2Proto-West Germanicwurstisausage
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “worst”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wert- →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wursti →