Etymograph

English

wear

Wear comes from Middle English weren, from Old English werian ‘to clothe, wear’, from Proto-Germanic *wazjaną, from PIE *wes- ‘to dress’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to dress, put on’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wazjaną‘to clothe’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*waʀjan‘to clothe’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150werian‘to clothe; wear’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500weren‘to wear’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1553wear

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to dress, put on’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wazjaną‘to clothe’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*waʀjan‘to clothe’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150werian‘to clothe; wear’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500weren‘to wear’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1553wear

Earliest quotation: 1553, John Brende: “He ware upon his head a diademe of purple…”

The story

Originally a weak verb (i.e. with a past tense in -ed), it became irregular during the Middle English period by analogy with verbs like beren (whence bear) and teren (whence tear).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to dress, put on (clothes)’

invest, vest, bison, venal, basmati, vend, 25 more

through Old English werian ‘to clothe, cover over’

weir, 2 more

through Middle English weren ‘to wear particular clothing or jewelry’

weren, 3 more

Another origin of wear

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wer-‘to close, cover, protect, save, defend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*warjaną‘to defend, protect, ward off’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*warjan‘to ward off, to defend against’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150werian‘to guard, keep, defend’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500weren‘to wear particular clothing or jewelry’
  6. Englishtodaywear

Today it means

verb To have on: To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, perfume, etc.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wes- / wear

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