Etymology: Old English hweorfa = Old High German werbo , werfo weak masculine, werbâ weak feminine rotating object, whirl, vortex < *χwerƀon , < χwerƀ- , as in Old English hweorfan , Gothic hwairban (see wharve v.).

Etymology: Three (for the most part) synonymous verbs existed in Old English: (1) hweorfan = Old Frisian hwerva to turn, Old Saxon hwerƀan to turn, change (Middle Low German werven to be active or busy, gain, obtain), Old High German hwerban , hwerfan (Middle High German werben , werfen ) to be active, turn, return, set or be in motion, Old Norse hverfa to turn, return, disappear, Gothic hwairban to go; (2) hwearfian = Old Saxon hwarƀôn , Old High German warbôn , warpôn to wander, proceed, Old Norse hvarfa to turn round, wander, Gothic hwarbôn ; (3) hwierfan , hwirfan , etc. = Old Saxon gihwerƀian to turn, change, Old High German hwarban , hwerban (Middle High German werben ) to turn, roll, return, giwerben to turn, divert, Old Norse hverfa to cause to turn: all < χwerƀ- : χwarƀ- to turn (compare wharve n. and wharf n.¹, wharf n.²).