Where does “software” come from?
software (Portuguese) comes from English software, from English -ware, from Middle English ware, from Old English wær, 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.
software (Portuguese): software
Ancestry of “software”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | software | Encoded computer instructions, usually... |
| 2 | English | -ware | Used to form nouns denoting, collectively, items... |
| 3 | Middle English | ware | Alternative form of veir; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | wær | cautious, on guard, watching out for something;... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |