The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix I
Indo-European Roots
ENTRY:
wer-1
DEFINITION:
To raise, lift, hold suspended. Oldest form *2wer-.1. Basic form *awer-.aorta, arsis, arterio-, arteriole, artery; meteor, from Greek eirein, to raise, and artri, windpipe, artery. 2. Possibly from this root is Greek r, air (from an obscure basic form *wer-): aerial, aero-, air, aria; malaria. 3. Zero-grade form *aur-.aura, from Greek aur, breath, vapor (related to Greek r, air; see 2 above). (Pokorny 1. er- 1150.)
2wer-. 1. Basic form *awer-. aorta, arsis, arterio-, arteriole, artery; meteor, from Greek 
eirein, to raise, and art
ri
er- 1150.) 
