Where does “wēr” come from?

wēr (Old High German) comes from Proto-West Germanic hwaʀ, from Proto-Germanic hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- — The primary interrogative root.

wēr (Old High German): what; who

Definitions

  1. what; who

Ancestry of “wēr”, step by step

wēr traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-West Germanic hwaʀ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanichwaʀwho
2Proto-Germanichwazwho, what; whose; whom
3Proto-Indo-EuropeankʷosSee *kʷis
4Proto-Indo-Europeankʷ-The primary interrogative root

via Germanic *wer

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

via Proto-Germanic warją

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicwarjądam, weir
2Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
3Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “wēr”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwaz →
wēr — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer