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Origin and history of weir

weir(n.)

"obstruction or barrier across a stream" to raise and stop the water for the purpose of taking fish, also to power a mill or for navigation, Middle English were, from Old English wer "dam, fence, enclosure," especially one for catching fish (related to werian "dam up").

This is from Proto-Germanic *wer-jon- (source also of Old Norse ver, Old Frisian and Middle Dutch were, Dutch weer, Old High German wari, German Wehr "defense, protection," Gothic warjan "to defend, protect"), according to Watkins from PIE root *wer- (4) "to cover."

Entries linking to weir

*wer-(4)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cover."

It might form all or part of: aperitif; apertive; aperture; barbican; cover; covert; curfew; discover; garage; garment; garnish; garret; garrison; guarantee; guaranty; kerchief; landwehr; operculum; overt; overture; pert; warn; warrant; warrantee; warranty; warren; wat; Wehrmacht; weir.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit vatah "enclosure," vrnoti "covers, wraps, shuts;" Lithuanian užveriu, užverti "to shut, to close;" Old Persian *pari-varaka "protective;" Latin (op)erire "to cover," (ap)erire "open, uncover" (with ap- "off, away"); Old Church Slavonic vora "sealed, closed," vreti "shut;" Old Irish feronn "field," properly "enclosed land;" Old English wer "dam, fence, enclosure," German Wehr "defense, protection," Gothic warjan "to defend, protect."

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