Ware
/wɛər/noun
Goods, merchandise, or manufactured items offered for sale.
Did you know?In Old English, related forms could mean ‘protection’ or ‘consciousness,’ showing how a word for guarding and awareness later drifted into the world of trade and goods.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*warō
“protection, caution, or awareness”
Old English
OE
waru
“protection; goods, merchandise”
Old English
OE
warian
“to guard, protect”
Middle English
ME
ware
“merchandise, commodities”
Modern English
EN
ware
“goods or manufactured items for sale”