Etymograph

English

guiltware

Guiltware comes from Proto-Germanic *warō ‘a good, merchandise, ware’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warō‘a good, merchandise, ware’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*warureconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150waru
  4. English1500–presentsoftware
  5. Englishtodayguiltware

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warō‘a good, merchandise, ware’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*warureconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150waru
  4. English1500–presentsoftware
  5. Englishtodayguiltware

A compound of guilt + -ware

Old English gylt ‘guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault’

Middle English gilt

English guilt

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wer- ‘to heed, watch, guard, protect’

wear, guard, con, garage, regard, ward, worm, verge, optic, warn, weir, garrison, panorama, beware, reverence, vermin, revere, wry, prosaic, vermilion, diorama, guaranty, milliner, vermicelli, vermiculite, varmint, vermeil, 64 more

through English software

malware, firmware, freeware, shareware, 20 more

Today it means

noun Software that attempts to convince the user to fulfil some obligation (such as registration or donation to a charity) by eliciting feelings of guilt.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *warō / guiltware

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