Where does “werewulf” come from?
werewulf (Old English) comes from Old English wer, from Proto-Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “werewulf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wer | man; husband; hero, warrior |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wer | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |