Where does “ferwas” come from?

ferwas (Pennsylvania German) comes from Pennsylvania German was, from Middle High German waȥ, from Old High German waȥ, from Proto-West Germanic hwat, from Proto-Germanic hwat, from Proto-Indo-European kʷód, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.

ferwas (Pennsylvania German): why

Definitions

  1. why

Ancestry of “ferwas”, step by step

ferwas traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Pennsylvania German was

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Pennsylvania Germanwaswhat
2Middle High Germanwaȥwhat
3Old High Germanwaȥwhat
4Proto-West Germanichwatwhat
5Proto-Germanichwatnominative/accusative singular neuter of *hwaz
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷódwhat
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷóswho

via Pennsylvania German fer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Pennsylvania Germanferfor
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷód →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwat →