Etymograph

English

warren

Warren comes from Middle English warenne.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500warenne
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1598warren

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500warenne
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1598warren

Earliest quotation: 1598, folio 1:: “A forest is a certen territorie of wooddy grounds…”

The story

From Middle English warenne, from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French warenne (compare Old French guarenne, garenne (‘game-park’)), probably ultimately from Frankish *warjan, from Proto-Germanic *warjaną (‘ward off, defend against’); compare also Old French warir, guarir, a borrowing from this Germanic root.

Every English word from Middle English warenne

Today it means

noun A system of burrows in which rabbits or other animals live.

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

Etymograph / Middle English warenne / warren

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