Etymograph

English

ward

Ward comes from Middle English ward, from Old English weard ‘watching, protection’, from Proto-Germanic *wardō, ultimately from PIE *wer- ‘to cover’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to cover’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wara-‘attentive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wardō‘protection, attention, keeping’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wardureconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150weard‘watching, ward, protection’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ward
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1485ward

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to cover’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wara-‘attentive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wardō‘protection, attention, keeping’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wardureconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150weard‘watching, ward, protection’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ward
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1485ward

Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur: “So forth the presoners were brought before Arthure, and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *wardō ‘protection, attention, keeping’

guard

Another origin of ward

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to heed, defend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wardōną‘to guard’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wardēn‘to guard, to protect, to watch over’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150weardian‘to watch, guard, keep, protect, preserve’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500warden
  6. Englishtodayward

Today it means

noun The action of a watchman; monitoring, surveillance (usually in phrases keep ward etc.)

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wer- / ward

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