Where does “верховой” come from?
верховой (Russian) comes from Russian верх, from Proto-Slavic vьrxъ, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “верховой”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | верх | top, upper part, roof, dome, height; summit,... |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | vьrxъ | top |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |