weorþ

From Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“towards, opposite”), used substantively as a noun. Cognate with Old Frisian werth, Old Saxon werth, Old High German werd, German wert (adjective), Wert (noun), Dutch waard (adjective), Old Norse verðr (adjective), verð (noun) (Swedish värd), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wairþs).

• IPA^(key): /we͜orθ/, [we͜orˠθ]

weorþ (comparative weorþra, superlative weorþost or weorþust or weorþest or weorþast)

1. worth, deserving
2. honoured, esteemed

• In the first sense, when something's worth (e.g. financial value) is explicitly stated, it is often indicated with the genitive case: Þæt is twentiġ sċillinga weorð ("That's worth twenty shillings").

weorþ n (nominative plural weorþ)

1. worth, price, value
   • Laws of King Ine

     Oxan horn bið X pæninga weorð.

     The worth of an ox's horn is ten pennies.

2. honour, dignity

• When buying, selling, etc. something at or for a certain price, the preposition mid is used with the instrumental case (or the dative in later Old English), not æt or for: Iċ ġebohte þrēo ċicenu mid healfe weorðe ("I bought three chickens for half-price").

Strong a-stem:

• weorþfull
• weorþlēas
• weorþlīċ
• weorþmynd

• weorþan
• weorþian
• weorþung

• Middle English: worth
  • Scots: wirth
  • English: worth