bellwether

Where does the word "bellwether" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic weþruz, passing through Old English before entering English (1300s).

Bellwether’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: weþruz meant “yearling.” A yearling, related to Latin 'vetus', old, and 'veteran'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as weðer. A castrated male sheep. It reached English by 1300s as bellwether. The 'wether' that wore a bell and led the flock; its figurative sense of 'a leader or sign of things to come' followed in the 1500s. Today, bellwether means an indicator of trends; a leader.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient weþruz "yearling", a yearling, related to Latin 'vetus', old, and 'veteran'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s weðer "castrated ram", a castrated male sheep.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s bellwether "bell-wearing lead sheep", the 'wether' that wore a bell and led the flock; its figurative sense of 'a leader or sign of things to come' followed in the 1500s.