Where does “верба” come from?
верба (Russian) comes from Proto-Slavic vьrba, from Proto-Indo-European werb-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
верба (Russian): pussy willow
Ancestry of “верба”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | vьrba | willow |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | werb- | to throw, twist, bend; to turn, bend, twist; to... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |