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Origin and history of warn

warn(v.)

Middle English warnen, from Old English warnian "give notice of impending danger," also intransitive, "take heed," from Proto-Germanic *warōnan (source also of Old Norse varna "to admonish," Old High German warnon "to take heed," German warnen "to warn"), from PIE root *wer- (4) "to cover." Related: Warned; warning.

Entries linking to warn

warning(n.)

"notice beforehand of the consequences that will probably follow continuance in some particular course" [Century Dictionary], Old English warnung, verbal noun from warnian (see warn (v.)). By early 14c. as "portent of coming evil," later also "a person, experience, etc. that deters by example." By 1917 in reference to the siren-signal given before air raids or other attacks.

forewarn(v.)

early 14c., from fore- + warn. Related: Forewarned; forewarning.

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Trends of warn

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

garnish
late 14c., "to decorate, adorn, beautify," also in Middle English "equip (a place) for defense; arm (oneself) for battle; prepare to defend," from Old French garniss-, present-participle stem of garnir "provide, furnish; fortify, reinforce" (11c.), from Frankish *warnjan, from Pr
admonish
mid-14c., amonesten "remind, urge, exhort, warn, give warning," from Old French amonester "urge, encourage, warn" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *admonestare, from Latin admonere "bring to mind, remind (of a debt);" also "warn, advise, urge," from ad "to," here probably with frequenta
teach
tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show, point out, declare, demonstrate," also "to give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn...[kicks him] The usual sense of Old English tæcan was "show, declare, warn, persuade" (compare German zeigen "to show," from...
monition
(nominative monitio) "warning, admonition, reminding," noun of action from past-participle stem of monere "to admonish, warn...
admonition
admonitio) "a suggestion, a reminding; an admonition," noun of action from past-participle stem of admonere "to advise, warn...
premonition
of action from past-participle stem of Latin praemonere "forewarn," from prae "before" (see pre-) + monere "to admonish, warn...
guarantee
garant "defender, protector; warranty; pledge; justifying evidence," from a Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *war- "to warn...
alert
"on the watch," 1610s, from French alerte "vigilant" (17c.), from prepositional phrase à l'erte "on the watch," from Italian all'erta "to the height." The second element is from erta "lookout, high tower," noun use of fem. of erto, past participle of ergere "raise up," from Latin
alter
late 14c., "to change (something), make different in some way," from Old French alterer "to change, alter," from Medieval Latin alterare "to change," from Latin alter "the other (of the two)," from PIE root *al- (1) "beyond" + comparative suffix -ter (as in other). Intransitive s
caution
c. 1300, caucioun, "bail, guarantee, pledge," from Old French caution "security, surety" (13c.), from Latin cautionem (nominative cautio) "caution, care, foresight, precaution," noun of action from past-participle stem of cavere "to be on one's guard" (from PIE root *keu- "to see

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