waft

The story

1. Middle Dutch · derived fromwachten“to guard, provide for”
2. Old English · inherited from*wafettan
3. Middle English · inherited fromwaften
4. English todaywaft

From Middle English waften, of uncertain origin. Possibly from unattested Old English *wafettan, from wafian (“to wave”) + -ettan, or perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch wachten (“to guard, provide for”). See also German wabern (“to waft”), Faroese veiftra (“to wave”) and Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”).