German

Noun

Wert m ‎(genitive Wertes or Werts, plural Werte)

1. worth
2. value
   • 1930, Paul Joachimsen, Der Humanismus und die Entwicklung des deutschen Geistes, in: Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte, 8, page 467:

     Und nun kommt die Reformation selbst. Die größte geistige Umwälzung, die je ein Volk des Abendlandes erlebt hat. Sie bringt wirklich eine Umwertung aller Werte.

     And now comes the Reformation itself. The largest spiritual upheaval that was ever experienced by a nation of the Occident. It really brings a transvaluation of all values.

Declension

Derived terms

• Eigenwert
• Grundwert
• Notenwert
• Prozentwert
• Zahlenwert
• hochwertig
• minderwertig
• -wertig
• wertig
• Wertigkeit
• wertlos
• Wertpaket
• Wertpapier
• Wertsteigerung
• Wertminderung
• Wertverlust
• Wertsendung
• Wertsystem n
• wertvoll
• Wertvorstellung f

Related terms

• wert
• werten

English

Verb

wert

1. (archaic) second-person singular simple past indicative of be

   Why wert thou there?‎

   • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, To A Skylark, (first two lines of ode),

     "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert, ..."

2. (archaic) second-person singular simple past subjunctive of be

   If thou wert mine, I would be in heaven!‎

   • 1611, The Bible, King James (Authorised) Version, (first & last usages),

     Job 8:6 "If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, ..."

     Revelation 3:15 "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."

Synonyms

• (second-person singular, modern) were (used with "you")

References

• “wert” in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
• “wert” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.

See also

Anagrams

• trew

German

Etymology

From Middle High German wert, from Old High German werd, from Proto-Germanic *werþaz. See the English cognate worth for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /veːɐ̯t/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /vɛɐ̯t/ (equally common)

Adjective

wert ‎(comparative werter, superlative am wertesten)

1. (with accusative) worth something, worthy of something

   Das ist die Mühe nicht wert.‎ ― That's not worth the effort.

   Der Wein ist seinen Preis wert.‎ ― The wine is worth its price.

   Er ist die ganze Aufmerksamkeit nicht wert, die er bekommt.‎ ― He's not worthy of all the attention he gets.

2. (formal, with genitive) worthy of someone

   Das ist meiner nicht wert.‎ ― That’s below my dignity

3. (formal) dear

   Werte Gäste, ...‎ ― Dear guests, ...

Usage notes

• In older usage, wert was generally construed with a genitive object: Das ist der Mühe nicht wert. This is now archaic, except in fixed expressions. For example: Wer den Pfennig nicht ehrt, ist des Talers nicht wert. — “Who doesn't honour the penny, isn't worthy of the dollar.” (A saying quivalent to “A penny saved is a penny earned”.)
• The genitive case is still used when the object of wert is a person (or a group, organization, etc.). However, this usage is quite rare and würdig is more common instead.

Declension

Derived terms

• wertfrei
• wertlos

Related terms

• Wert

Kurdish

Noun

wert

1. descendence

Wolof

Etymology

From French verte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɛrt/

Verb

wert

1. to be green