Where does “*-wari” come from?
*-wari (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic warjaz, from Proto-Germanic warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “*-wari”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | warjaz | defender; inhabitant; citizen |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |