Where does “wer-” come from?

wer- (Old Dutch) comes 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 “wer-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicwerman
2Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
4Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “wer-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →
wer- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer