Where does “waiter” come from?

waiter (Anglo-Norman) comes from Frankish wahtwēn, from Frankish wahtu, from Proto-Germanic wahtwō, from Proto-Germanic wakaną, from Proto-Indo-European weǵ- — lively, awake; strong.

Ancestry of “waiter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankishwahtwēnto guard, protect; to keep watch
2Frankishwahtuwatch, guard; watch, guard duty, watchtower;...
3Proto-Germanicwahtwōwatch, vigil
4Proto-Germanicwakanąto wake, be awake, arise
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵ-lively, awake; strong

Words derived from “waiter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wakaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic wahtwō →