War
/wɔːr/noun
A state of armed conflict between different countries or groups.
Did you know?The English word war is not from a heroic Latin root; it comes from Old North French werre, ultimately linked to a Germanic root meaning “to confuse” or “to mix up,” which is why related words like worse and worst carry that same sense of disorder.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wers-
“to confuse, mix up”
Old High German
OHG
werra
“confusion, discord, strife”
Old North French
ONF
werre
“war, hostility”
14th Century
English
werre
“armed conflict”
Modern English
English
war
“armed conflict between states or groups”