An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/werfen

by Friedrich Kluge

werfen, vb., ‘to cast, throw,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wërfen, OHG. wërfan (wërpfan); a common Teut. str. vb.; comp. Goth. waírpan, OIc. verpa, AS. weorpan, E. to warp, Du. werpen, OSax. wërpan, ‘to throw.’ From Teut. are borrowed OFr. guerpir, Fr. déguerpir, ‘to leave in the lurch.’ The Teut. root werp contained in these words is based upon werq, from pre-Teut. werg (comp. Wolf with Gr. λύκος, fünf with quinque, and vier with quattnor); the primit. allied Sans. vṛj, ‘to throw down,’ and OSlov. vrŭgą (vrěšti), ‘to throw,’ have a guttural sound. Allied to the following word and to Würfel.