Where does “worþ” come from?
worþ (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic wurþiz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wŕ̥tis, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wer-, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “worþ”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | wurþiz | raising, elevation; mound |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wŕ̥tis | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wer- | to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |