Etymologically
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warn

Etymology and origin of the English word warn

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1000
Inherited from
Old English warnian via Middle English
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*wer-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /wɔːn/ (UK); /woɹn/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English warnen, inherited from Old English warnian (“to give notice of danger; take heed”),[2][3][4] related to wær, aware, cautious (see wary),[2][5][4] from Proto-Germanic *warōnan,[3][2] source also of Old Norse varna and German warnen,[3][2] from Proto-Indo-European *wer-, to cover.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To take heed, be on one's guard, only in Old English; to give timely notice of danger, about 1000.[6][2]

Semantic evolution

To caution someone against a person or thing is from before 1225.[6] Hoad dates the sense to inform, notify to the 13th century.[4] To order someone to go away, warn off, is a later use.[7][8] Warning is from Old English, probably before 1200 in the Ancrene Riwle.[2] A noun warn, notice of something about to happen, was used before 1300.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1000 – to give notice of danger.[6]
  • before 1225 – to caution.[6]
  • 13th century – to inform.[4]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To make someone aware of possible danger or harm.
  2. To advise against doing something; to admonish.
  3. To inform in advance.
  4. To order to go or keep away: warned off the land.

Word family

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins

Related etymologies

  • shooter · also from Old English
  • thee · also from Old English
  • harper · also from Old English
  • shallow · also from Old English
  • bolt · also from Old English
  • nut · also from Old English
  • hart · also from Old English
  • cloth · also from Old English
Cite this entry

“Warn.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/warn. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·