blur (English)

Where does "blur" come from?

The adjective 'blur' developed from the earlier form 'blurre', which is likely an alteration of 'blear'[1]. This word traces back to Middle English 'bleren'[1][4] and an unattested Old English verb '*blerian'[1][3], which survives in the prefixed form 'āblered', meaning 'made bare' or 'made bald'[1]. Taking its lineage deeper into the Germanic family, it descends through Proto-West Germanic '*blaʀjan' to the Proto-Germanic verb '*blazjaną', meaning 'to make pale'[1][3]. That verb was derived from the Proto-Germanic adjective '*blasaz', meaning 'pale' or 'light'[1][3], which ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European root '*bʰel-', meaning 'to shine' or 'white'[2][3].

Open questions

The development of 'blur' as a direct alteration of 'blear' is considered probable rather than fully certain. [1]
The Old English base verb '*blerian' is an unattested reconstruction inferred primarily from the surviving form 'āblered'. [1] [3] [4]

Full etymology tree

blur (English), 'Lacking awareness; clueless or confused.'
- inherited blurre (English)
  - derived blear (English), 'To be blear; to have blear eyes; to look or gaze with blear eyes.'
    - inherited bleren (Middle English)
      - inherited *blerian (Old English), 'to lighten, make pale'
        inherited *blaʀjan (Proto-West Germanic)
        inherited *blazjaną (Proto-Germanic)
        derived *blasaz (Proto-Germanic), 'white, pale (of animals)'
        derived *bʰel- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to sound; to speak, roar, bark'

Ancestors

*blerian (Old English)
*blasaz (Proto-Germanic)

Sources

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris