Where does “wirġan” come from?
wirġan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *wargijan, from Proto-Germanic wargijaną, from Proto-Germanic wargaz, from Proto-Indo-European werǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “wirġan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | *wargijan | to condemn |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wargijaną | to fordeem; condemn; to curse |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wargaz | outlaw, criminal; wolf |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵʰ- | bind, squeeze; to bind, squeeze; to turn, twist,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |