waste

waste · noun, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁weh₂-“empty, wasted”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wōstaz
3. Frankish · derived from*wōstī“a waste”
4. Old Northern French · derived fromwast
5. Middle English · inherited fromwast
6. English todaywaste

From Middle English wast, waste (“a waste”, noun), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast, waste (“a waste”), from Frankish *wōstī (“a waste”), from Proto-Germanic *wōstaz, *wōstuz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty, wasted”). Displaced native Middle English wernen (“to refuse”) likely due to the similar sounding Middle English warnen

waste · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁weh₂-“empty, wasted”
2. Frankish · derived from*wōstī“waste, empty”
3. Old Northern French · derived fromwast“waste”
4. Middle English · inherited fromwast
5. English todaywaste

From Middle English wast, waste (“waste”, adjective), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast (“waste”), from Frankish *wōstī (“waste, empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty, wasted”). Cognate with Old High German wuosti, wuasti (“waste, empty”), German wüst, Old Saxon wōsti (“desolate”), Old English wēste (“waste, barren, desolate, empty”).

waste · verb³

1. Latin · derived fromvastāre
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wāsto-“empty, wasted”
3. Frankish · derived from*wōstijan“to waste”
4. Old Northern French · derived fromwaster“to waste, devastate”
5. Middle English · inherited fromwasten“to waste, lay waste”
6. English todaywaste

From Middle English wasten (“to waste, lay waste”), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French waster (“to waste, devastate”) (compare also the variant gaster and French gâter from a related Old French word); the Anglo-Norman form waster was either from Frankish *wōstijan (“to waste”), from Proto-Indo-European *wāsto- (“empty, wasted”), or alternatively from Latin vastāre and influenced by the Frankish; the English word was assisted by similarity to native Middle English westen ("to waste"; > English weest). Cognate with Old High German wuostan, wuastan, wuostjan (“to waste”) (Modern German wüsten), Old English wēstan (“to lay waste, ravage”). Displaced native Old English essian and strȳndan. Largely overtook Old English forspillan and wēstan.

Words from the same roots