Obs. In 3 wari, weri. [OE. wearʓ, wearh = OS. warag, OHG. warc, warch criminal, felon (whence Frankish Law Latin vargus outlaw), MHG. warc monster, ON. varg-r outlaw, hence wolf (Sw., Norw. varg, wolf, mod.Icel. vargur fox), Goth. *warg-s (attested by the compound launawargs unthankful person, and the derivatives ga-wargjan to condemn, wargiþa condemnation):—OTeut. *warʓo-z.
Probable cognates outside Teut. are Lith. vȧrgas misery, vargti to be wretched, OPrussian wargs suffering (sb.), evil, bad (adj.), Lettish wahrgs ill, OSl. vragŭ (Russian врагь) enemy.]
A felon, outlaw, villain.
a. 1000. Dream of the Rood, 31. Strange feondas … heton me heora werʓas hebban.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 245/40. Furcifer, wearh.
a. 1200. St. Marher., 4. Þe wari of þeos wordes warð utnumen wrað.
c. 1205. Lay., 28215. Mi seolf ich wulle hine an-hon haxst alre warien.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 352. My Louerd, þuruh hwam þe world is me unwurð, & ich am unwurð to him, as weri [v.r. wari] þet is anhonged.
