An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/warten

by Friedrich Kluge

warten, vb., ‘to wait, await, stay,’ from MidHG. warten, OHG. wartên, ‘to spy, lurk, expect.’ Comp. OSax. wardôn,‘to be on one’s guard, look after,’ AS. weardian, ‘to guard, keep,’ E. to ward, OIc. varða, ‘to watch over, protect’ (also Goth. -wards, ‘keeper,’ in compounds). From OTeut. are borrowed Ital. guardare and Fr. garder, ‘to guard.’ Hence the primary meaning of the cognates is ‘to look after or take charge of some one,’ and so they are undoubtedly connected with the root of wahren.