entry
worth
/wɜːθ/Value, merit, or deserving quality
From O.English / Proto-Germanic worth (worth).
from Proto-Germanic *wertha- , which is of uncertain origin. Boutkan finds no IE etymology for it. Also in Old English...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”)
from Old English weorþ "having worth, significant, of value;" also "valued, appreciated, deserving; honorable, noble,...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English worth
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Germanic *wertha- , which is of uncertain origin. Boutkan finds no IE etymology for it. Also in Old English...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”)
from Old English weorþ "having worth, significant, of value;" also "valued, appreciated, deserving; honorable, noble,...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English worth
A word that began as a compliment eventually learned to count money. In Old English, weorþ could mean not just “valuable,” but also “honorable,” “fit,” and “deserving” — the kind of praise you might use for a good sword, a loyal ally, or a man of standing. Its family is sprawling: worthy, worship, and stalwart all orbit the same old idea of something that measures up. There’s a nice twist in the history too: by around 1200, worth could work almost like a preposition, as in “a dollar’s worth,” turning a moral idea into a measurement. That’s the memorable thing here — worth started as a judgment of character, then became a way to weigh coins, effort, and even your favorite song.
The Story
A word that began as a compliment eventually learned to count money. In Old English, weorþ could mean not just “valuable,” but also “honorable,” “fit,” and “deserving” — the kind of praise you might use for a good sword, a loyal ally, or a man of standing. Its family is sprawling: worthy, worship, and stalwart all orbit the same old idea of something that measures up. There’s a nice twist in the history too: by around 1200, worth could work almost like a preposition, as in “a dollar’s worth,” turning a moral idea into a measurement. That’s the memorable thing here — worth started as a judgment of character, then became a way to weigh coins, effort, and even your favorite song.
Kin & Kindred
From 'worth'·worth, value, worthy, suitable
Derived Terms
English words from this root