Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “WAO” come from?

WAO (Dutch) comes from English wow, from Scots wow, from Scots wave, from Middle English waven, from Old English wafian, from Proto-Germanic wabōną, from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- — to weave, braid.

Ancestry of “WAO”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwowAn indication of excitement, surprise,...
2Scotswow—
3Scotswave—
4Middle EnglishwavenTo shake, swing or totter; to move to and fro; To...
5Old Englishwafianto wave; to be agitated, astonished, amazed; to...
6Proto-Germanicwabōną—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwebʰ-to weave, braid

Words derived from “WAO”

  • WAO'er
Every word from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- →