werian

Old English

Alternative forms

• werġan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwer.jɑn/,

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic *wazjaną. Cognate with Old Saxon werian, Old High German werien, Old Norse verja.

Verb

werian

2. to wear
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans

     Be þām hringum man meahte witan hwæt Rōmāna duguþe ġefeallen wæs, for þon þe hit wæs þēaw mid him on þām dagum þæt nān ōðer ne mōste gyldenne hring werian būtan hē æðeles cynnes wǣre.

     You could tell by the rings how much of the Roman nobility had fallen, because the custom back then was that no one could wear a gold ring unless they were from a noble family.

Conjugation

Descendants

• Middle English: werien, weren
  • Scots: were, weir
  • English: wear

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *warjan.

Cognate with Old Saxon werian, Middle Dutch weren (Dutch weren), Old High German werien (German wehren), Old Norse verja (Swedish värja).

Verb

werian

2. to hinder, restrain; to dam up
3. to defend, protect

Conjugation

Descendants

• Middle English: werien
  • Scots: were, wer, weir
  • English: wear

Etymology 3

From Proto-West Germanic *weʀēn, from Proto-West Germanic *weʀēn, from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to remain, dwell”).

Verb

werian

2. to remain, continue, dwell

Conjugation

Related terms

• warian

Descendants

• Middle English: weren