Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wær” come from?

wær (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic wār, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

wær (Old English): cautious, on guard, watching out for something;...

Definitions

  1. cautious, on guard, watching out for something;...

Ancestry of “wær”, step by step

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

Words derived from “wær”

  • software
  • hardware
  • warehouse
  • wary
  • ware
  • wares
  • warily
  • earthenware
  • middleware
  • unwary
  • warehousing
  • silverware
  • wariness
  • glassware
  • spyware
  • firmware
  • stoneware
  • Tupperware
  • groupware
  • tableware
  • cookware
  • courseware
  • shareware
  • flatware
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →