The story
From waste (“empty, barren, dejected, dismal”, adjective) + -en.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
wasten
Today it means: To make or become waste (i.e. barren, dejected, dismal, feeble, or sickly) or wasted Full definition →
Today it means: To make or become waste (i.e. barren, dejected, dismal, feeble, or sickly) or wasted Full definition →
From waste (“empty, barren, dejected, dismal”, adjective) + -en.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.