Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “dearf” come from?

dearf (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic derbaz, from Proto-Germanic derbaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰerHbʰ- — to work, perish, die.

Ancestry of “dearf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicderbazbold, determined, strong
2Proto-Germanicderbanąto work; to perish
3Proto-Indo-EuropeandʰerHbʰ-to work, perish, die

Words derived from “dearf”

  • derf
  • derf
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰerHbʰ- →