werren

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *werran, from Proto-West Germanic *werran.

Verb

werren

1. (transitive) to tangle, to bring into disarray
2. (transitive) to confuse
3. (transitive) to destroy
4. (transitive) to hinder
5. (intransitive) to damage, to harm [with dative]
6. (intransitive) to cause worry or pain
7. (intransitive) to quarrel, to dispute

Inflection

Strong class 3
Infinitive	werren
3rd sg. past	war
3rd pl. past	worren
Past participle	geworren
Infinitive	werren
In genitive	werrens
In dative	werrene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	werre	war
2nd singular	wers, werres	wors, worres
3rd singular	wert, werret	war
1st plural	werren	worren
2nd plural	wert, werret	wort, worret
3rd plural	werren	worren
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	werre	worre
2nd singular	wers, werres	worres
3rd singular	werre	worre
1st plural	werren	worren
2nd plural	wert, werret	worret
3rd plural	werren	worren
Imperative	Present
Singular	wer, werre
Plural	wert, werret
	Present	Past
Participle	werrende	geworren

Alternative forms

• warren

Descendants

• Dutch: warren

Further reading

• “werren”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “werren (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Middle English

Alternative forms

• werre, warren, weorren, weren

Etymology

From Old French guerrier, guerrer, from Frankish *werran. Equivalent to werre (“war”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix); influenced and reinforced by that noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɛrən/, /ˈwɛːrən/

Verb

werren (third-person singular simple present werreth, present participle werrende, werrynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle werred)

1. To attack, fight or war (against something or someone); to be involved in or engage in armed conflict.
2. To inflict destruction or devastation by way of conflict or battle; to bring to ruin.
3. (rare) To attack outside armed conflict; to fight one-on-one or in a disorganised manner.
4. To attack a religion (or its people) or a value; to enter into religious or moral conflict.
5. To denigrate, show enmity towards, punish, or afflict a religion or its followers.
6. (rare) To have one's knowledge on a topic turn clouded or unclear.

Conjugation

Conjugation of werren (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) werren, werre
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	werre	werred
2nd-person singular	werrest	werredest
3rd-person singular	werreth	werred
subjunctive singular	werre
imperative singular		—
plural1	werren, werre	werreden, werrede
imperative plural	werreth, werre	—
participles	werrynge, werrende	werred, ywerred

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: war
• Scots: war, weir

References

• “werren, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-23.