Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “feorhweard” come from?

feorhweard (Old English) comes from Old English weard, from Old English ōra, from Old English ēar, from Proto-Germanic ahaz, from Proto-Finnic ahtas, from Proto-Baltic anśtas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énǵʰus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- — to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

feorhweard (Old English): mortal protection, guard over life

Definitions

  1. mortal protection, guard over life

Ancestry of “feorhweard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
2Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
3Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
4Proto-Germanicahazear
5Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
6Proto-Balticanśtas—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →