wer

See also wer-, and WER

English

Alternative forms

• were

Etymology

From Middle English wer, from Old English wer (“a male being, man, husband, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *weraz (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“man, freeman”). Cognate with Middle High German wër (“man”), Swedish värbror (“brother-in-law”), Norwegian verfader (“father-in-law”), Latin vir (“man, husband”).

Noun

wer (plural wers)

1. (obsolete) A man.
2. (obsolete) Wergild.

Related terms

• werewolf
• wergild
• world

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German

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kʷis. Related to wo.

Pronunciation

• IPA: [veːɐ]
• Homophone: Wehr
• Rhymes: -eːɐ̯

Pronoun

wer

1. (interrogative) who.

   Wer hat das gesagt? – Who said that?

2. (indefinite, colloquial) somebody, someone

   Da ist wer an der Tür. – There's somebody at the door.

Usage notes

The colloquial wer meaning "somebody" cannot stand in the beginning of a clause (because it might then be mistaken for the interrogative). Thus: Da ist wer an der Tür, but only: Jemand ist an der Tür.

Inflection

• Nominative: wer = who
• Accusative: wen = whom
• Dative: wem = to whom
• Genitive: wessen = whose

Synonyms

• (indefinite, colloquial): jemand

Related terms

• wer da
• Werdaruf
• Werfall
• Wemfall
• Wenfall

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Kurdish

Adverb

wer

1. so

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Meriam

Noun

wer

1. egg
2. testicle
3. star

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Middle English

Etymology

From Old English wer, compare Old Norse verr

Noun

wer (plural wers)

1. a man, a husband
2. Alternative spelling of war.

Verb

wer

1. were

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Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /wer/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *weraz, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“freeman”). Germanic cognates include Old Frisian wer, Old Saxon wer, Old High German wer, Old Norse verr, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂 (waír). The Proto-Indo-European root is also the source of Latin vir, Sanskrit वीर (vīrá), Old Irish fer (Welsh gŵr), Lithuanian vyras.

Noun

wer m

1. man, husband
2. (poetic) hero

Declension

    Declension of wer (strong a-stem)

	Singular	Plural
nominative	wer	weras
accusative	wer	weras
genitive	weres	wera
dative	were	werum

Derived terms

• werwulf, werewulf
• wereald, woruld, worold

Descendants

• Middle English: wer

Etymology 2

From werian.

Noun

wer m (nominative plural weras)

1. weir

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Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *weraz, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós. Cognate with Old English wer and Old Norse verr.

Noun

wer m

1. man

Derived terms

• weralt
• werwulf

Descendants

• Werwolf
• Welt
• Wergeld

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Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *weraz, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós. Cognate with Old English wer and Old Norse verr.

Noun

wer m

1. man
2. hero

Declension

Declension of Declension of wer (strong a-stem)

	Singular	Plural
nominative	wer	weros
accusative	wer	weros
genitive	weres	werō
dative	were	werum

Derived terms

• werold
• werwulf

Descendants

• warwulf
• werld