word
A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing.
Etymology
From Old English word (speech, word, news), from Proto-Germanic *wurdą, from PIE *werh₁- (to speak, to say). The same root gave Latin verbum (word) — the source of English verb and verbal. Lithuanian vardas (name) is another cognate. The connection between word and verb is one of the clearest examples of Grimm's Law: PIE *w remains w in Germanic, Latin b in verbum reflects a different development.
The Journey: *werh₁- → word
*werh₁-
*wurdą
word
word
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *werh₁-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Latin | verbum — word |
| German | Wort — word |
| Gothic | waurd — word |
| Old Norse | orð — word |
| Lithuanian | vardas — name |
Did You Know?
Word and verb are cognates from the same PIE root — one passed through Germanic, the other through Latin. The Latin plural verba (words) survives in English verbose, verbal, and proverb.