An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/werden

by Friedrich Kluge

werden, vb., ‘to become, grow, get,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wërden, OHG. wërdan; a common Teut. vb.; comp. Goth. waírþan, AS. weorþan (obsolete in E.), Du. worden, ‘to become.’ The Teut. strong verbal root werþ has no corresponding and equiv. Aryan wert, yet it is undoubtedly connected with Lat. verto, ‘to turn,’ OSlov. vrŭtěti, vratiti, ‘to turn,’ Sans. vṛt, ‘to turn, roll’; ‘to turn’ developed in Teut. into ‘to become, arise’ (comp. Sans. sam vṛt, ‘to arise’). The earlier meaning ‘to turn’ is rightly supposed to exist in the suffix -wärts (which see), as well as in MidHG. wirtel, ‘spindle ring,’ equiv. to OSlov. vrěteno, ‘distaff.’