Werwolf
/ˈweːɐ̯.vɔlf/noun
A werewolf is a legendary human who transforms into a wolf, especially under a curse or during the full moon.
Did you know?The first element comes from Old English and Old High German words for “man,” not from the modern word “were,” so the monster’s name is a fossil of an ancient human shape-shifter belief.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wiHrós
“man, husband”
Old English
OE
wer
“man, male person”
Old High German
OHG
wer
“man”
Old English
OE
werwulf
“man-wolf, a man transformed into a wolf”
Middle English
ME
werwulf
“a werewolf, a man believed to turn into a wolf”
Modern English
English
werewolf
“a legendary human who transforms into a wolf”