Here's a breakdown of its ancestry:
* Proto-Germanic: *wordo*
* Old English: *word*
* Middle English: *word*
* Modern English: *word*
Interestingly, "wordo" is thought to be related to the Proto-Indo-European word "wer-," meaning "to speak, say." This connection shows how the concept of "word" has been a fundamental part of language for thousands of years.
So, essentially, the word "word" itself has a long and rich history, going back to the very roots of the Indo-European language family.