weorþ

Forms

weorþ (comparative weorþra, superlative weorþost or weorþust or weorþest or weorþast)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”).^[1][2] The adjective has cognates in Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wairþs), Old Norse verðr, Old Frisian werth, Old Saxon werth and Old High German werd.^[2][3] The neuter noun “worth, price” has its own cognates, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸 (wairþ) and verð, and the Old Saxon and Old High German forms are also neuter nouns.^[2][4] Welsh gwerth (“price”) is a loan from the Old English noun.^[2][5]

Kroonen calls it an adjective of unknown origin, and Etymonline also finds no secure Indo-European etymology.^[2][6] Orel derives it from the verb Proto-Germanic *werþaną (“to become”).^[3] Köbler connects it with the root Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”), and Wiktionary reports Matasović's view that the sense passed through “exchange”, as in the Celtic word for price.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest dated record is the Parker manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written from the turn of the tenth century: in the annal for 878 Guthrum comes to King Alfred with thirty of þara monna þe in þam here weorþuste wæron “the men who were most distinguished in the army”.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

The adjective is used of things that are worth a sum, above all in the laws, where an ewe is scill. weorð “worth a shilling” and a man's tusk fifteen shillings; of persons it means worthy, honoured, of high rank.^[10][11][12] The noun is worth or value, and the price paid for a thing or for a person's ransom; in the gospels it renders “pretium”, as in blodes weorð “the price of blood”.^[10][4] In Beowulf the noun is a treasure.^[13]

The noun lived on as Middle English worth, now English worth.^[14][6]

Timeline

• s. ix/x – weorþuste “most distinguished” in the Parker Chronicle, annal for 878.^[8][9]
• s. x med. – power can make a fool weorðne & andrysne “honoured and feared” in the Old English Boethius.^[15][9]
• s. x/xi – the noun as “treasure” and the comparative weorþra in Beowulf.^[16][12][13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. worth a given sum or thing, of value.^[10][11]
2. worthy, deserving.^[1][7]
3. honoured, esteemed, of high rank; valued, dear, precious.^[12][7]

Noun

1. worth, value.^[10]
2. the price of a thing, purchase money; ransom.^[10][4]
3. honour, dignity;^[1][13] (poetic) a treasure.^[1][13]

Word family

• weorþscipe
• weorþfull
• weorþlēas
• weorþlīċ
• weorþmynd
• mannweorþ
• wliteweorþ

Descendants

• Middle English worth (→ Scots wirth; English worth)^[1]

Related words

• weorþan
• weorþian
• weorþung

Usage notes

Köbler lists weorþ also as a spelling of worþ “enclosure, homestead”, a word of another origin.^[17]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 581
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 458
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weorþ 2
5. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. 390
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weorþ 1
8. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 83
9. ^ a b c Healey, Antonette diPaolo; Price Wilkin, John; Xiang, Xin, eds. (2009), Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Toronto: Dictionary of Old English Project
10. ^ a b c d e Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 1199
11. ^ a b Liebermann, F. (1906), Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen, vol. II.1: Wörterbuch, Halle: Niemeyer, p. 239
12. ^ a b c Fulk, R. D.; Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D., eds. (2008), Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press (glossary), p. s.v. weorð, adj.
13. ^ a b c d Fulk, R. D.; Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D., eds. (2008), Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press (glossary), p. s.v. weorð, n.
14. ^ Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
15. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 296
16. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 344
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. weorþ 3