Where does “war” come from?
war (Old High German) 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.
war (Old High German): id; true
Ancestry of “war”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |