-ware

• IPA^(key): /-wɛ(ə)/
• IPA^(key): /-wɛɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
• Homophone: -wear

From Middle English ware, from Old English waru, from Proto-West Germanic *waru, from Proto-Germanic *warō, with meaning gradually shifting from guard, protection to an object that is in possession, hence meriting attention, guarded, cared for, and protected.

-ware

1. Used to form nouns denoting, collectively, items made from a particular substance.

   ‎glass + ‎-ware → ‎glassware

2. Used to form nouns denoting, collectively, items made in a particular place.

   ‎Abruzzi + ‎-ware → ‎Abruzzi ware

3. Used to form nouns denoting, collectively, items of a particular kind or for a particular use.

   ‎gift + ‎-ware → ‎giftware

From software. See also ware and warehouse.

-ware

2. (computing) Used to form mass nouns denoting specific classes of computer software, based on use, function, or method of distribution.

• warez

• Rawe, Wear, -wear, wear, arew, Awre

• -wæren, -wærre (Laȝamon)
• -waress (Ormulum)

Inherited from Old English -ware, from Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“dwellers of”).

• IPA^(key): /-ˌwaːr(ə)/
• (Early Middle English) IPA^(key): /-ˌwarə/

-ware pl

1. (Early Middle English, rare, no longer productive) A suffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a place.

• ⇒ Early Modern English: endware

• “wāre, n plural.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

• -waras, -waran, -waru

From Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“dwellers of”). Cognate with Old High German -āri (“inhabitants of”).

• IPA^(key): /ˌwɑ.re/

-ware m pl

1. (used in the singular) suffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a place

   eall sēo buruhwaru ― the people of a city, the entire citizenry

2. (used in the plural) suffix denoting inhabitants or residents of a place

   burgwaras ― residents of a burg, burghers, citizens

   Lundunwaran ― Londoners

   Rōmware ― residents of Rome; Romans

• (masc. i-stem)

• (masc. a-stem)

Strong a-stem:

• (masc. n-stem)

Weak:

• (fem. ō-stem)

Strong ō-stem:

• -sǣta

• Middle English: -ware, -wæren, -wærre (Laȝamon), -waress (Ormulum)
  • ⇒ Early Modern English: endware
• >? Middle English: -ere
  • English: -er
  • Middle Scots: -ar, -ir
    • Scots: -er