wait

wait · verb, noun, interjection¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*weyd-“to see, know”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*waitijaną“to show, guide, advise, direct”
3. Old Norse · derived fromveita“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”
4. Middle English · derived fromwaiten
5. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*weǵ-“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”
6. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wahtwō“guard, watch”
7. Frankish · derived from*wahtu“guard, watch”
8. Frankish · derived from*wahtwēn“to watch, guard”
9. Anglo-Norman · derived fromwaiter
10. Middle English · inherited fromwaiten
11. English todaywait

From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch. In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.

wait · noun²

1. Japanese · calque of待ち
2. English todaywait

Calque of Japanese 待ち.

Wait · proper noun³

English surname, variant of Waite.

Words from the same roots