wyrþe

Wyrþe is an Old English noun meaning value, worth, price, or merit, and it also appears in adjectival forms connected with being worthy or deserving. In Old English texts, wyrþe is used in contexts that express the value or importance of a person, thing, or action, including notions of honor and merit. The word participates in a semantic field that ranges from concrete price to abstract worth and dignity, a range that broadened in later Old English to encompass moral worth as well.

Etymology and related forms: wyrþe is derived from the Proto-Germanic root *werþaz/*werþą, a common source for the word across Germanic languages. Cognates include Old Norse verð, German Wert, and Dutch waarde, all signaling a shared lineage meaning value or price. In Old English, the form and pronunciation varied in manuscripts, with wyrþe one of several spellings attested for the same root. The root also contributed to related adjectives such as those meaning worthy, which in later English developed into the modern words worth and worthy.

Usage and development: In Beowulf and other Old English writings, wyrþe appears in constructions that express the worth of objects, deeds, or people, and it interacts with numerals and other evaluative terms. Over time, the semantic range expanded toward moral merit and social standing, a shift reflected in later Old English and into Middle English. The word lay the groundwork for the modern English noun worth and the adjective worthy.

Legacy and connections: The modern English terms worth and worthy descend from the same Germanic root as wyrþe, illustrating a common lineage for value, price, and merit in the Germanic family. In scholarly references, wyrþe is noted as part of the core vocabulary that helps illuminate Old English concepts of value, rank, and virtue.