wyrt

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *wurt-, the oblique stem of *wrōts (from which root). Cognate with Old Saxon wurt, Old High German wurz (German Wurz), Old Norse urt (Swedish ört), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍄𐍃 (waurts).

Alternative forms

• ƿyrt — wynn spelling

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wyrt/, [wyrˠt]

Noun

wyrt f

1. a plant or herb, especially as used for food or medicine

Derived terms

• bēowyrt
• ġewyrtbox
• ġewyrtian
• wyrtian
• ǣġwyrt

Descendants

• Middle English: wurt, worte, wort
  • English: wort
  • Middle Scots: wortis (plural only)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *wurtijō (“spice”). Cognate with Old Saxon wurtia.

Alternative forms

• wyrte
• ƿyrt — wynn spelling

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wyrt/, [wyrˠt]

Noun

wyrt f

1. wort (as in brewing)

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “wyrt”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Descendants

• Middle English: wort, worte
  • English: wort
  • Scots: wirt