wer
/wer/masculine
The English phrase 'man' is translated into Old English as wer. Wiktionary also lists secg.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old English | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| wer | /wer/ | masculine |
| secg | /sejj/ | masculine |
This term is used to refer specifically to an adult male human.
Which one should you use?
The form wer specifically refers to an adult male human, whereas mann refers to a human being of any gender.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form wer is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/wer/
Did you know?
- The word wer survives in modern English almost exclusively in the compound word 'werewolf', where it retains its original meaning of 'man'.
- The term secg is a linguistic oddity that can refer to both a man and a specific type of marsh plant.
- The Old English wer is a cognate of the Sanskrit word vīrà, showing a deep linguistic connection between ancient English and ancient Indian languages.
Examples in context
- Se guma is cumen.The man has arrived.
- Se wer is strang.The man is strong.
Example conversation
Wulfrun and Godric are discussing a stranger they saw.
- WulfrunHū is se wer?How is the man?
- GodricSe wer is gōd.The man is good.
- WulfrunIs hē gēong wer?Is he a young man?
- GodricNese, hē is eald.No, he is old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries wer, secg, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries secg, wer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
