Where does “varför” come from?

varför (Swedish) comes from Swedish för, from Swedish bud, from Swedish givare, from Swedish giva, from Old Swedish giva, from Old Norse gefa, from Proto-Germanic gebaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰebʰ- — to give.

varför (Swedish): why; why, and therefore, for what reason

Definitions

  1. why; why, and therefore, for what reason

Ancestry of “varför”, step by step

varför traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish för

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishförtoo; To an excessive degree; because; bow; the...
2Swedishbuda message (also budskap)
3Swedishgivarea giver; a giver, a donor; a sensor
4Swedishgivaa portion of fodder; the amount of fodder given...
5Old Swedishgivato give
6Old Norsegefato give something; to give someone something
7Proto-Germanicgebanąto give
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʰebʰ-to give

via Swedish var

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishvarwhere; at which place; where; the situation in...
2Old Norsehvarwhere
3Proto-Germanichwarwhere, in what place
4Proto-Germanichwēr
5Proto-Indo-European*kʷís
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰebʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic gebanąEvery word from Old Norse gefa
varför — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer